ROAN Constituency Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili was misleading people by stating that China Non-ferrous Mining Corporation Luanshya Copper Mines (CLM) had placed some miners on three months probation when they had already worked over six months, company public relations officer Sydney Chileya has said.
Mr Chileya said in an interview yesterday that the three months period Mr Kambwili was talking about were probation period given to the miners as stipulated by labour laws of Zambia.
“It is far from the truth that we have placed these workers on probation unfairly. They are on probation as stipulated by the law, all the unionised workers have been given full time and pensionable jobs,” Mr Chileya said.
Mr Kambwili was quoted in the media early this week that the mining firm had placed its workers on probation after the initial six months, which he said was “nonsense”.
Mr Chileya said the six months contracts CLM gave the miners when it took over the operations of the firm last June was to facilitate the registration of the company and signing of the recognition agreement with the mine unions.
‘All this has been done on time, the company has been registered and the union has been recognised, they just held branch elections recently,” Mr Chileya said.
He said senior management staff were put on various renewable contracts depending on their skills and that nobody had less than a year contract.
Mr Chileya said the contracts were effective of January 1 this year. So far, the mining company has employed 2,300 workers. He said negotiations on the conditions of service between management at the union were expected to start soon.
Mineworkers Union of Zambia officials too have supported Mr Chileya.
Union officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was important that politicians were kept from meddling in the operations of CLM because the investor has done everything in the best interest of the people.
[Times of Zambia]
government has no say on chinese if you look at the situation in chambishi zambians are getting as low as 400 thousand kwacha. and they lie that its 1.2m.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT BAD I THINK THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO SAME THING.THATS WHY I LIKE MUGABE HE WORKS WITH HIS PEOPLE.
Well ZEd, its market driven labor market and that is above the statutory minimum wage. Thats the way its goes world wide but i doubt your figures
#1 Who is saying the truth here? Is Chishimba or Chileya? To me Chishimba is just a noisy maker due to emptiness in his ugly head and nothing else PERIOD!
Problem with this PF thick head is that he gathers info from his fellow kaponyas ..(Typical PF mentality)
As MP he has all the powers to make an appointment with mine mgt to verify these issues,but HELL NO..why wait for the truth when its lies and rumours that make headlines!! We are in for a bumby ride if ever these chaps came to power(PLEASE GOD FORBID)…
#2 Very well articulated. You cannot blame it on the Chinese if you fail to properly enact proper legislation to protect your citizens from power conditions of service. The minimum wage, by law in Zambia is around K268, 000. Rather than all the time pointing fingers, why not advocate for better labour laws that will save the interests of Zambians?
# 2 and 5 did you look at the current food basket of an average family of about 5 the total amount needed for 1 month is about 2.5 what can 400 000 do?. what is the union NUMAW doing. NUMAW (MMD) MUZ (PF)
Kambwili is right because even at Chambishi Metals returning employees have been placed on 3months contracts. We have seen the letters. What LT source should do is ask for thse letters to eshtablish the truth. But we know the workers are now intimidated.
# 6. That’s exactly my point! Those stakeholders seem not to even know why they exist in the first place!
Kwena ABENA zambia tulifipuba! degrading a good leader kambwili! … ahah tuka mona uko bakimitwala ba RB nangu George kunda! carry on … zambians want to saty in the dark .. when there shown the light …