Mpelembe Drilling Company employees today almost stoned their Head Office in Luanshya in protest against management’s failure to pay them salaries.
Mine workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) Mpelembe Branch Chairman, Geofrey Lishika, confirmed the development to ZANIS, adding that he was at pains to restrain the irate workers who carried stones and other missiles with the view of demolishing the offices.
Mr Lishika said the workers, who have not been working, were agitated because they have not been paid their half-salaries for the past five months, adding that most of them were living like destitutes.
He appealed to government to intervene in the matter before the situation becomes volatile.
He said he had to petition government through the District Commissioner’s office over the immediate sale of the company to a strategic partner who would be able to revive its operations.
Mr Lishika said the workers had suffered enough because of the collective agreement which binds them not to look for employment elsewhere for fear of forfeiting their benefits.
He said the District Commissioner, George Kapu, had arranged a tripartite meeting of the union, management and the labour minister next week to chart the way forward.
Some of the workers, who were met by the ZANIS crew, were flanked by their spouses and children demanded that union leaders give them food because they were starving.
ZANIS
5 months is too much.
I hail from Luanshya.I know very well what these mpelembe miners go through.Their operation in underground mine is absolutely vital-they work in potentially dangerous places underground.So imwe ba fikamba bafolesheni impiya shabo!
I plead with those people in authority to pay mpelembe miners their well deserved dues.
Ba LT naya mukulala mwanvundula na ma moderations yenu !