Who is a worker? mubeleki? mukakuzata? mukakupanga? mubelesi? Umubonfi…?
Eight days ago on May, 1, Zambia joined the rest of the world to commemorate Labour Day. Labour Day is a special day for all workers here, and across the globe. As such, it matters that we reflect on who the worker, mubeleki, mukakuzata, mukakupanga, mubelesi, umubonfi is!
By and large, a worker is ANYONE who earns his or her livelihood by selling his or her labour. And it doesn’t matter whether she/he is able to find a buyer or employer for his or her labour or not. This means that even an unemployed person, one who cannot find a buyer for his or her labour, is also a worker. The self-employed also fall in this category. So examples of a worker range from marketeers, cross border traders, (abamakwebo), miners, bankers, builders, farmers, house wives, house husbands, students, civil servants, doctors, nurses, lecturers, teachers, domestic workers, bus drivers, conductors, vendors, carpenters, tailors, journalists, the unemployed, artists, construction workers, small business men and women, and so on and so forth.
In his statement on Labour Day, Uwesu, Wathu Wathu, Ki Waluna, Witu, Nguwesu – Dr Fred M’membe had this to say:
“Today many workers in this country face the … long hours at … work and still barely make enough money to get by”.
“But for some of us, instead of working too much, we can’t find work at all”.
“This has to change. Change must come. We have to struggle for a better order, a better society. And all need to participate, play a role”…
“It gets dark sometimes but the morning comes. Let’s not lose hope; a better Zambia is possible if we struggle for it. And it’s our duty to struggle for it”.
“Let all the workers of this country join the struggle for a socialist Zambia”
Indeed, come 2021, the worker, mubeleki, mukakuzata, mukakupanga, mubelesi, umubonfi must, and will win big!
Remember the wise saying: what we can’t do for ourselves as workers, no one will do for us.
Cde FM for 2021!
Socialist Party Media Team.