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Workmen's Compensation (Accidents) Convention, 1925 (No. 17) - Zambia (RATIFICATION: 1964)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous direct request in respect of the application of Articles 5 and 7 of the Convention to public servants.

Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee thanks the Government for the statistical information provided in its report on, inter alia, the number of registered occupational accidents and diseases (1,030 cases) and the number of persons protected against industrial accidents (333,589 persons). The Committee observes in this respect that, according to the World Social Protection Report 2014–15, the legal coverage ratio in Zambia in respect of the contingency of employment injury remains low, slightly above 10 per cent of the labour force, while the level of effective coverage in practice falls at an even lower ratio. Although Zambia has very specific social security arrangements for formal employees, not all workers are reached by existing social security provisions with half of all employees saying that their employers do not contribute to social security or that they do not know whether their employer contributes. In addition, the labour force is made up of 60 per cent of own-account workers, most of whom are not protected against employment injuries as they are to be found in the informal economy (a considerable number working in rural areas and agriculture). Finally, the Committee notes that the Government indicates, in the section of its report related to the comments made by employers’ and workers’ organizations, that concerns have been raised regarding the quantity of cash benefits provided in case of employment injury. The Committee wishes the Government to indicate the policy measures taken or envisaged to foster compliance with the requirements of the national legislation and extend both legal and effective levels of coverage in respect of the contingency of employment injury. Please indicate the average level of employment injury benefits in case of permanent total disability and the minimum rate of employment injury pension, if such is established.