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GV EXT Tribunal building
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LV & CU INT President Kaunda addressing audience (6 shots)
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CU & SV Chairman of court, Leo Baron & officials listen as President Kaunda continues (3 shots)
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Initials BB/2005 GB/MR/BB/2025



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda pledged to give workers more say in the management of enterprises in which they serve, when he opened his country's first Industrial Relations Court in Lusaka on Tuesday (14 October).

The Court will act as an industrial tribunal, but will all have the power to "commit and punish for contempt, any person who disobeys or unlawfully refuses to carry out an order made against him by the court."
President Kaunda said the court was a vital part in his Government's attempt to "remove the old pattern of industrial relations in which the employer was more or less a master and the worker a slave".

Dr. Kaunda said that since the Industrial Relations Act was introduced by the Government in April last year, considerable progress in establishing meaningful relations between employers and employees had been made.

"For many years now Zambia has enjoyed industrial peace and the Party, trade union leaders and the workers themselves deserve credit for it", he said.

The new industrial Relation Court will be run by a panel chaired by Mr. Justice Baron.

SYNOPSIS: Zambia's first Industrial Relations Court was opened by President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda on Tuesday in Lusaka.

In his opening ceremony speech, Dr. Kaunda promised workers in Zambia more say in the management of the enterprises in which they serve. He said the court would play a vital part in his Government's attempt to remove "the old pattern of industrial relations in which the employer was more or less the master and the worker a slave". Dr. Kaunda said that since the Industrial Relations Act was introduced in April last year, considerable progress in establishing meaningful relations between employers and employees. "For many years now Zambia has enjoyed industrial peace and the Party, trade union leaders and worke???s deserve credit for it", he said. Dr. Kaunda said workers would be expected to report malpractice, sabotage at his place of work unless he was a "traitor". An enemy of the revolution, he said, was someone who arrived for work late.

The Industrial Relations Court will operate as a normal industrial tribunal, except that it will have he power to "commit and punish for contempt any person who unlawfully disobeys to carry out any order made against him". A panel will make the decision ... and it will be chaired by Mr. Justice Baron.