By Dr Fred M’membe
On December 31, 2021, the Minister of Labour, Brenda Tambatamba, signed into law SI 93 of 2021 which repealed SI 106 of 2020. The repeal meant that truck drivers undertaking international trips will now receive K100 per night as subsistence allowance from K390 per night which was enshrined in the repealed SI if the truck has a sleeping cabin.
The new SI has also reduced allowances paid to drivers who undertake international trips with trucks without sleeping cabins from 50 dollars per night to 25 dollars per night.
This is really a government of businessmen, by businessmen for businessmen to increase their profits, their – in a word, to exploit the workers and the poor more thoroughly.
Only a workers party and government can truly protect the workers, the poor and all who toil.
Under this government of businessmen, by businessmen for businessmen benefits to the poor are a by the way – to calm down so that they don’t rebel and stop voting for them – ba misubafye tu batter pakuti mwibemina.
In truth, this is what the trickle down economics being pursued by this government entails. And Pope Francis was very right when he said that the “magic theories” of market capitalism have failed and that the world needs a new type of politics that promotes solidarity.
“The marketplace, by itself, cannot resolve every problem, however much we are asked to believe this dogma of neoliberal faith. Whatever the challenge, this impoverished and repetitive school of thought always offers the same recipes.
This dogma “simply reproduces itself by resorting to the magic theories of ‘spillover’ or ‘trickle’ as the only solution to societal problems,” the pope added.
He went on to say there is “little appreciation of the fact that the alleged ‘spillover’ does not resolve the inequality that gives rise to new forms of violence threatening the fabric of society.” The highest leader of the Catholic Church added that “trust” in the market system has “ceased to exist” as a result of these policies.
“The fragility of world systems in the face of the pandemic has demonstrated that not everything can be resolved by market freedom,” he said.
Trickle-down economic policies traditionally refer to tax breaks and financial assistance for the wealthy and for large corporations. The idea is that any savings will spill over to everyone else in society through investments, spending and more.
The pope called for more proactive economic policies that promote productive diversity and creativity and make it possible for “jobs to be created and not cut.” Ultimately, he said that “human dignity” must be put back at the centre of these policies, rather than financial speculation aimed at creating quick profits.
Workers of Zambia unite under the banner of your own political party – the Socialist Party – and liberate yourselves from yoke capital. What you can’t do for yourselves, nobody will do it for you.
Fred M’membe