Thursday, March 28, 2024

Chambishi smelter fires 89 and rehires 347 workers

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Chinese-owned Chambishi Copper Smelter (CCS) on Monday fired 89 workers and rehired 347 others after a strike and riots last week, industry officials said on Monday.

The company originally fired all 500 workers but agreed to rehire staff after a screening process to identify the leaders of riots over pay and service conditions that left property damaged and a Chinese manager injured.

CCS company secretary Sun Chuanqi and National Union of Mining and Allied Workers (Numaw) General Secretary Albert Mando separately confirmed that 89 workers were sacked.

“They (CCS management) have fired 89 workers and reprieved 347 others who have since reported back for work,” Mando told Reuters by telephone from Chambishi.
The union would contest the firing of the 89 workers.

“The workers will appeal against the dismissals. We regret the workers took that kind of action, but we are aware they acted (emotionally),” he said.

Mando said salary negotiations, which broke down prior to the strike and rioting, would only restart after the issue of the sacked workers was resolved.

Sun said the construction of one of Zambia’s largest copper smelters has restarted.

“Operations are back to normal and we hope to complete constructing the smelter in December and start to produce 150,000 tonnes of copper per year from 2009,” he said.

He however said internal disciplinary procedures at the company are continuing while workers still interested in their jobs are being scrutinised.

Mr. Chuanqi said that disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who will be found to have participated in the damage of company property.

The strike highlighted tensions between Zambian workers and Chinese managers in the mining industry.

Chambishi Copper Smelter is the first of 50 Chinese companies that plan to invest over $800 million in a tax-free zone in Zambia within the next five years, Zambian officials say.

20 COMMENTS

  1. That sounds more diplomatic. With no details. I can only say that it seems like we are making progess.

    Being punished for doing wrong is okay but the investors should resolve the plight of their workers.

  2. NCC:
    First we should try to understand what Forum for Leadership Search is? Facts are that the forum is solely run by Mr Edwin Lufekelo a former defector from the late Dean Mungnomba’s Party to MMD, then defected to Ben Mwila’s Party then defected to MMD as were he held position of Lusaka District Organising Coordinator. He is sole founder of Patriotic Front whilest awaiting Satas resignation from MMD. He became Secretary General of PF, He attempted to expell Sata from PF but failled. He later defected back to MMD. He attempted to launder himself and joined Citizens forum. He lobbyed for membership to NCC as Youth Representative at 40 years. Now full member of NCC. HE CANT RE-ENTER THE UK.

  3. Kubatamfya fye bonse… I really don’t support lazy people, and most of the time the lazy always has spare energy to pick up stones and break windows. The hardworking usually sits down and discuss how the tough the job/task went. STRIKES are “uncivilized” way of ask or negotiating. The consequence are loosing job and starve children. People we need jobs, keep them. The Chinese speak English and Bemba, lets just talk and not ukubilima!

  4. #3 How you’re saying kubatamfya? You’re telling that Zambians must suffer because of laziness? No! Only Indian is supposed make Zambia suffer. Not these Chinese ama choncholi, Mwenye is the true oppressor!!

  5. these Chines are after money and why should they not pay our people accordingly? Am suprised even the Government is not commenting on this issue,why do we subject our own people to such anreasonable working conditions?If they cant pay our accordingly then of what good is the $800million investment?just to be paper?
    nonsense

  6. I do not understand what the real facts are. The GRZ appears to have no leadership in disclosing what the real causes for the violent strike were at Chambeshi. The Union has also not been forth coming with details as to what the main causes were for the strike and violence. It is therefore premature for any Zambian to be happy that some workers have been rehired while others have been fired. What Zambia needs is free access to information and facts. It is clear that the mmd thrive on the ignorance of the majority of our citizens.

  7. This Chambishi article z becoming a bore.I think bloggers exhausted this article wen it was first published i concur with # 4.

  8. I am not a big fan of the Chinese business practices but i support them on this one. They must fire all culprits. If any thing cases need to be opened for destruction of property.Pipo need to be responsible.How can a grown up man go and burn a truck which he knows cost money to buy and is a tool to his survival. Just fire the whole lot or make them pay for the damages.

  9. There are so many ways to protest.Vandalism?Distruction?Awe awe people.Brains are a free gift the Lord Blessed us with.
    Punishment?Yeap.Reasons as to why that kinda thing happened also need to be put to light so the zedians know?
    Revision of Labour laws and putting them to practice?Yeap

  10. Very sad news indeed but coming from a black christian nation, it is not suprising. the bible teaches u that u were cursed by Noah and that you’ll continue to be slaves of light skinned people until Jesus comes. you sente this curse every time you in to church.

  11. Comrades, whats the connection between the chambeshi story and the Forum for leadership change as indicated by #2?

  12. I agree with #4. We need accurate data on what is truly happening.

    Today all 500 are re-instated, the following day some bigger number is re-hired while the remaining has been sent home for good. This is not helping us. Please, GRZ bring this thing to a conclusive end. Everyone who worked and works at that smelters needs the job.

    Its better everyone gets their job back than a few retaining theirs a get the salary increments while those who fought for it are fired.

  13. Yes Zambia needs investors be local or foreign to drive the economy. However, investment does not establish in the vacuum. Investment needs workers and citizens need to benefit from the investment by way of employment. Those being employed must put in adequately in terms of manhours of work and in return correspondingly renumerated. When it comes to renumeration, most of these investors, put down their feet and resist payment of adequate paybacks. Government has a role to play here to balance up the equation. It seems as if some investors mainly of the Chinese origin have been allowed to operate above the labour. Like workers, they also need to be checked.

  14. The government has a role to screen the would be workers salaries when investors enter the country though damaging things is not a solution,lets call a spade a spade, we do not need to damage things, the workers are now back at work and using the same place they had damaged. Dialogue is very important, if the workers representatives have failed it is better to replace them, so that they find vigorous men who are fearless.

  15. No smoke without fire!tax free invetmnt yet pipo get peanuts? Posterity judge us. govt shud be proactive n solvng worker issues lest Posterity be our judge.Howvr no stone age manerisms.

  16. No smoke without fire! Tax free and yet pipo get peanuts!! wen will our leaders eva learn 2be proactive &not just reactive? wat a country we r leaving 4posterity.

  17. It is apitty that most investors are coming into this contry with selfish ambitions.GRZ is doing absolutely nothing and its like they have no powers over these so called investors.At KCM, the indians have put a target of 3:1(Indians:Zedians)ratio.To archieve this they have introduced what they calling GLP where Zedian Graduates go to india for 1yr and vise vesa.What happening is that poor Zambians are coming back whilst indians are staying here forever.The imigration dept is doing nothing about it. This is the strategy they are using to achieve the 3:1 ratio.This country is in a political mess and need someone with intelligence/wisdom to resurrect it.

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