Democratic Union (DU) President Ackim Antony Njobvu has called for a national minimum wage tied to the cost of living and an end to casual contracts in the public service, declaring that “Zambia works when workers work.”
In his 2026 Labour Day message released today under the theme “Workers First, Zambia Forward,” Njobvu said Zambian workers were “the backbone of Zambia” but warned that “your back is breaking” due to low wages and poor working conditions.
“Workers wake up to a payslip that cannot survive the month. Mealie-meal, fuel, rent, transport, have outrun salaries,” Njobvu said.
Njobvu said a nation that does not pay its workers a living wage is a nation that has declared war on its own future.
The DU leader criticised the prevalence of casual contracts, noting that university graduates and skilled artisans remain trapped in temporary work.
“Decent work must be permanent, pensionable, and protected. Youth unemployment is not a statistic – it is a national emergency,” he said.
Meanwhile, Njobvu told the government that “checks and balances are not insults. They are democracy,” and pledged the DU would stand “in Parliament, in the courts, and in the streets for every kwacha stolen from a worker’s pocket through corruption, late pay, or unfair tax.”
He said “a motivated worker builds a profitable company and a prosperous Zambia.”
Njobvu also challenged opposition parties to unite, stating “fragmentation is betrayal.”
The outspoken politician called for a Workers’ Charter backed by all opposition parties and unions ahead of the 13 August 2026 general elections.
“Fellow citizens, no politician built this country. Workers did. No speech paved a road. Workers did. No manifesto healed a patient. Nurses did,” Njobvu added.
Francis Chipalo
