Maamba Collieries (MCL) miners have downed tools demanding payment of their four months salary arrears.
Speaking during a meeting with the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) representatives outside the MCL offices the workers who sought anonymity declared that they would only resume work once management has paid them their four months salary arrears.
The workers said the memo that management wrote to them indicated that the sales of coal has improved yet the company has failed to pay them their salary arrears and Oriental Quarries the contractor that was mining coal on behalf of MCL.
They charged that MCL Managing Director Stephen Mutambo has failed to address the pressing issues that were affecting workers.
The issues included the payment of two salary arrears within two weeks last month that management failed to honour, the firing of the company’s Human resource manager Mr Simwele for being insensitive to the workers plights.
Mr. Mutambo is alleged to have told the workers that Mr Simwale had given up his position when he in fact was still working from MCL’s Lusaka office.
The workers lamented that their families were starving a situation that made them ashamed to be called miners in the township.
They demanded that government should also constitute a team of ministers to look into the problems affecting MCL as was the case with other ailing mines in Luanshya and Albidon Nickel mine in Mazabuka.
The workers also wondered why the Zambia Consolidated Cooper Mine Investment Holding (ZCCM-IH) has pulled out when government gave them 100 percent shares to run the mine.
MUZ Secretary for Maamba condemned the ZCCM-IH decision to pull out from supporting the mine when they have invested a lot of money in the Company.
Maamba Union Chairperson Evans Moyo assured the workers that he would present their grievances to the MCL management.
MCL Head of industrial relations and Administration Jethro Sikalunda urged workers management time to look into their grievances.
ZANIS
The MMD government is to blame for the problems at Maamba. Who voted for Banda in Maamba?
This is sad….MMD for 20 years
Lack of leadership. Management needs to be replaced clearly they have run out of ideas. A commitee of ministers will just sell the mine which is not the solution. If that mine is well mined and run it can bring in alot of revenue for government.
Iam always astonished when I hear our politians say that copper production has gone up eg when our mines minister is boasting how copper production will go up;; 1million tones per year my question is ARE ZAMBIANS BENEFITING? I for one have not seen the benefits to the ordinery Zambian
Wealth should trickle down to the poor hardworking Zambians. If the minister of mines is getting his pay then the miners should be paid!!! Is there any unemployed lawyer that can sue the ministry of mines for not paying them? In America they would as this is a breach of contract
I am looking for comprehensive information on coal mining in zambia. Can somebody help me with this information.