Chinese chamber says wellbeing of Zambian workers key to success of its investors

In a Labour Day statement issued on Friday, Chamber President Li Tie extended best wishes to President Hakainde Hichilema, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and all Zambian workers. Li said this year’s Labour Day theme, “Ensuring a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment,” reflected the daily realities faced by both Chinese enterprises and Zambian employees. “In Zambia, the workplace is not just where one earns a living.

It is where families are supported, skills are built, and communities are strengthened. If that environment is strained by stress, poor communication, or lack of respect, then both the worker and the enterprise suffers,” he said. He said the Chamber had been organising joint seminars and capacity-building workshops with government agencies to equip member companies with a clear and practical understanding of Zambian legislation and compliance obligations.

Li noted that Chinese enterprises operated within the Employment Code Act No. 3 of 2019, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and statutory requirements under NAPSA and NHIMA. “But we also understand that compliance alone does not create a healthy workplace,” he added.

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The Chamber said Chinese firms currently provided direct employment to thousands of Zambians across sectors such as construction, mining, manufacturing, agriculture and trade, employing workers from technical fields to entry-level positions. “Our members have made deliberate efforts to prioritise local employment and to ensure that Zambians form the backbone of their workforce at all levels,” Li said. On social protection, he acknowledged NAPSA’s role and said the Chamber had been working with the authority to support member companies, especially labour-intensive enterprises, in worker registration through the e-NAPSA platform and ensuring timely contribution remittances.

He stressed that workplace health extended beyond statutory compliance: “It is reflected in how a supervisor speaks to a worker, how a grievance is handled, and how a company responds when an incident occurs. These are the daily actions that build or break trust.” Calling on its members to “strengthen the human side of their operations,” Li said safety gear and formal contracts matter, but so does “a workplace where a worker feels respected, heard, and supported.” He saluted the resilience and dedication of Zambian workers and reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to upholding decent work standards, workplace safety, and an environment that protected both mental and physical wellbeing.

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