THE GUEST OF HONOUR
IT IS ALWAYS A HAPPY MOMENT TO MAKE SOME REMARKS DURING AN OFFICIAL OPENING SESSION FOR AN EVENT SUCH AS THIS.
AS SOCIAL PARTNERS WE HAVE JUST COME FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE WHICH TOOK PLACE IN GENEVA SWITZERLAND IN JUNE THIS YEAR. AS A COUNTRY, WE FOUND OURSELVES APPEARING ON THE LIST OF CASES THAT WERE PRESENTED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE APPLICATION OF LABOUR STANDARDS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CAS COMMITTEE, ON WHAT THEY CALLED NONE COMPLIANCE TO THE ILO FORCED LABOUR CONVENTION , 1930 NUMBER 29. ZAMBIA RATIFIED THIS CONVENTUION IN 1964 AND IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CONVENTIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION. THIS CONVENTION REQUIRES MEMBER STATES TO TAKE MEASURES TO ELIMINATE FORCED LABOUR WHICH INCLUDES HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SPEAKING GENERALLY ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS, THEY ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE AMONG OTHER THINGS, THEY PROTECT WORKERS AGAINST UNFAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES AND HELP IN IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE, AS REGULATIONS THAT ARISE FROM THE DOMESTICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS, CAN LEAD TO GREATER WORKER PRODUCTIVITY AND IN CASE OF THE STANDARDS GUIDING ON OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS, THEY CAN LEAD TO REDUCTION IN OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS AND HEALTH CARE COSTS.
THE STANDARDS ALSO GUARANTEE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS SUCH AS FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOUR AND THE PROVISION OF A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT.
WE ALL AGREE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS SERVE AS CRUCIAL BENCHMARKS IN FOSTERING FAIR AND JUST WORKING CONDITIONS GLOBALLY. THESE STANDARDS DO NOT ONLY ENHANCE WORKERS’ RIGHTS BUT ALSO UPHOLD HUMAN DIGNITY WHICH ESTABLISHES A FRAMEWORK FOR EQUITABLE TREATMENT ACROSS DIVERSE LABOUR MARKETS.
IT IS GRATIFYING THEREFORE , THAT ZAMBIA AS A MEMBER STATE OF THE ILO HAS RATIFIED A NUMBER OF THE ILO CONVENTIONS WHICH HAVE HELPED THE COUNTRY FORMULATE LABOUR LAWS, OR LET ME SIMPLY SAY EMPLOYMENT RELATED LAWS THAT HAVE RESULTED INTO MAKING THE LABOUR MARKET CONDUCIVE FOR THE WORKERS IN ZAMBIA .
THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS IS THEREFORE, PLEASED THAT TODAY WE HAVE A MISSION FROM THE ILO CONDUCTING A TRAINING IN THE FORM OF CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE TRIPARTITE PARTNERS IN ZAMBIA WHO ARE ALSO ILO CONSTITUENTS.
WE NOTE FROM THE PROGRAM THAT THE CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITY WILL ALSO TOUCH ON THE ASPECT OF REPORTING OBLIGATIONS ON RATIFIED CONVENTIONS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE REPORTED ON THIS YEAR 2025. AS EMPLOYERS WE WELCOME THIS CAPACITY BUILDING EVENT AS IT WILL ENABLE ZAMBIA TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF ARTICLE 19 OF THE ILO CONSTITUTION ON ILO MEMBER STATES TO REPORT AT APPROPRIATE INTERVALS AS REQUESTED BY THE ILO GOVERNING BODY ON POSITIONS OF THE LAW AND PRACTICE ON ILO STANDARDS THAT THE GOVERNING BODY WILL REQUEST TO SUPPLY REPORTS FROM TIME TO TIME.
WE ARE GLAD TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS WORKSHOP AND WE WISH EVERY PARTICIPANT THE VERY BEST.
THANK YOU.