KANSANSHI Mining PLC a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals says it has become necessary to disengage various workers that had been engaged by various contractors in the construction of the smelter following its completion last December.
The Mining firm says construction of the copper smelter at Kansanshi Mine was completed in December 2014, and that the demobilization of contractual staff kicked then and has continued.
In a statement issued by Company Public Relations Manager Godfrey Msiska, management says the demobilization had to be done systematically and in phases as the smelter was commissioned and various processes at the smelter being tested for efficacy.
Mr Msiska says in view of concerns expressed by various stakeholders, Kansanshi Mining Plc has seen it necessary to clarify the issue of demobilization of workers who had been engaged by contractors.
He has stated that the contractor demobilization plan was shared with the Provincial Administration and the Provincial Labour Office late last year .
Mr Msiska says 343 contractors’ workers are earmarked for demobilization this week .
On Thursday, government disclosed that Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi retrenched 93 workers and plans to retrench 400 more.
Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has revealed this in a statement released in Lusaka.
Mr Kambwili who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister appealed to Kansanshi Mine to reinstate the 93 workers as the right procedure has not been followed.
He says all mining companies are aware of the standing order which obliges them to consult government through the Ministry of Labour before retrenching any worker.
The Minister says government’s position is that if mining companies embark on the retrenchment exercise the first workers to retrenched should be expatriates.
Mr Kambwili says government has been extremely flexible and magnanimous on the issue of the mining tax.
Meanwhile, ZNBC’s Brian Mwale reports that government says it will continue to dialogue with mining firms in the country as partners in economic development of the nation.
Deputy Minister of Finance Christopher Mvunga says there is no challenge that is insurmountable where dialogue is at the centre of issues.
He says Zambia has not reached the cross roads in the management of the national economy as is being portrayed in some sections of society.
Speaking after a tour of Kalumbila Minerals’ Sentinel Mine in Solwezi under its Trident Project, Mr. Mvunga assured management that government is investor friendly.
He says the US$2billion investment by First Quantum Minerals in the Low Grade Copper mine is a reflection of how much confidence foreign investors have in the country.
Mr. Mvunga who is accompanied by Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu says he has had fruitful discussions with management at Kalumbila Mine to understand challenges faced.
He says there is also need to empower local Small and Medium Enterprises through setting up of small industries in the new town currently under development.
Mr. Mvunga says unemployment can only be addressed by allowing more Zambians to participate in investments in the country.
And Kalumbila Minerals Limited General Manager Rudi Badenhorst says it is important that the Ministry of Finance also understands its operations because the investment will be contributing to government coffers.
Meanwhile North Western Province Minister Dawson Kafwaya is happy with the investment which he says is in line with government’s goal of creating employment through promoting private sector participation.
Mr Kafwaya has assured the mine of government’s support in addressing some of the challenges the mining giant is faced with.
The Provincial Minister has since called on Zambians to support government’s developmental projects as opposed to mixing investments and politics.
The contractor developing the smelter has to deploy staff @ the end of the project. The running of the smelter will require different expertise. People getting contractual jobs must understand them as such, not expecting express way to permanent & pensionable jobs.
Labour laws including standing orders must be realistic of this fact.
You are right. If anything let the labour office people there be fired for not updating government after being told of that information earlier!
The workers must go and start selling tomatoes…as Stella Sata would say. What an ldiotic suggestion!
The situation is even simpler than what that dullard Chimbwili was alleging. All contracts end, just like PF’s contract ends next year.
Although Mining is a complex business to be easily understood by politicians, this is a simple matter… and all these utterances from govt and people’s complaints over end of jobs at end of project phase are so mis-informed…some just pretending…Mining is business, it doesn’t carry dead wood like grz, or like a Zambian voter who is so happy to vote for and employ one unproductive ECL
It shows the lack of being on top of things by Government. If they are unaware of things happening here in Zambia were they have officers on the ground i wonder what happens if copper leaves the boulder of this country.
Zambians have a sleeping government…and it is still in the stone age epoc
@Superhuman
It wasn’t government sleeping, but the goliath frog – Kambwili – who was still hibernating until the first rains woke him up.
And what about the Zambian technicians and geologists who were retrenched? Where they also working on the smelter? Zambian labour laws are useless. God help us.
Ba airtel my talk time atishani,i will start insultin u bafikalaa nomba ala,why do u lyk stealin frm clients?
Good work Kansanshi Mining. The laid off pipo are contractual up to the completion of the project. Now it is finished, why would kansanshi keep them? To do what? U can now go and consult Stella sata in the way forward.
China’s Zijin Mining Group has expressed interests to invest in Zambias Copper mines and Gold Fields some common mines in Solwezi and Chingola Areas might be the target
China Zijin Mining Group is a Solid Mining Group with massives depth in Financial resources and machinery to effectively contribute to the revenues in Zambias mining sector
The Gov should not be shaken Copper and Gold resources will always find a quality investor to continue mining and providing a contribution
They are slowly watching to invest in those distressed mines and Its a very good opportunity to ensure continuos operations of Zambias mining sector with capitalisation in excess of 50 billion dollars
what can a general worker do to run the isa smelter, psc converters, anode furnaces and casting wheels, acid plants-weak acid and strong acid, oxygen plant, material handling and blendings etc? nothing. they have to leave room for the specialists to do the job. so ba kambwili please, you were once an hr in zccm at chingola nchanga mine dont forget the facts of expatriates and their importance mwana. Tekuvokavokafye iyoo. dont mislead the majority of zambians who dont know anything in the mine. Teku famu yafyumbu kuno iyoo batata.
Suntwe wa Suntwe
shallow analysis of what Sata daughter said, obtaining a degree in any given situation does not mean you are going to be employed by the govt or private sector or both are going to enable you have a job? I can give a very simple example in UK there are million s of degree holders who work in Supermarkets, pubs and others with no jobs or zero hour contracts. Therefore her advice to me was purely a reminder of what young educated have propel themselves rather displaying limited capabilities. It’s not what the govt can do for you buy what you can do to zambia