Katilungu House in Kitwe
MINERS from Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Chililabombwe, Chingola and Kitwe yesterday stormed the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) head offices in Kitwe where they protested over the planned lay-off of 2, 000 workers by the mining giant.
The over 50 miners clad in black attire and led by their branch officials from all the three unions, MUZ, National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) and the United Mineworkers Union of Zambia (UMUZ) converged in Kitwe to press upon their national leaders and Government not to allow KCM go ahead with the planned downsizing of labour.
Malambo Malambo who spoke on behalf of the three union members said the demonstration was aimed at expressing their displeasure as miners over KCM planned action to downsize labour for no apparent reason.
Mr Malambo said it was unjustifiable for KCM management to attribute their planned downsizing to workers not meeting their targets.
“It is not true that KCM employees are failing to meet their targets.It is because of management’s failure to provide tools and equipment, change of contractors which takes time for them to mobilize and settle,” Mr Malambo said.
He said the decline in production levels at KCM was not as a result of workers but management itself which had engaged contractors that were ill-qualified.
“Ninety per cent of the work at KCM is done by contractors and why should they blame workers for low productivity,” he asked.
Mr Malambo said KCM employees had sacrificed a lot in helping management put up several projects that include Konkola Deep Mining Project, Nchanga smelter, Konkola concentrator and many others and that for the company to just to layoff that huge number at once was immoral and unacceptable.
He accused KCM management of trying to use the retrenchment as a tool to negotiate for mineral loyalty tax and increased electricity tariffs.
MUZ president Nkole Chishimba urged the miners to remain calm but at the same time be productive as the union, Government and KCM management were engaging in dialogue over the matter.
And his NUMAW counterpart James Chansa assured the miners that the union would not let them down because they had an obligation of not just negotiating for salary increment and improved conditions of service but also to defend the workers.
Katilungu House in Kitwe
Ba Union did you consult us before you went to Katilungu, Let them retrench am better off being given my money and do something more progressive than working for these Indians. VSS nayo balakana. Resigning nayo you loose your benefits so guys let them go ahead there is more to life than just Mining for India.
I am yet to see happy PF supporters!!!
Looks like KCM wants to push the government into a tight corner.
pliz government this is da time to let ths Indians go..don’t even negotiate with them jst reposes da mine and give it white investors period…
As a newly recruited graduate I worked for the KCM in the New Smelter project before leaving after seeing the rot going on in that company. All the major contractors were Indian and these pricks were bringing in laborers, boiler makers, artisans, technicians etc jobs which Zambians can do. Not to mention a whole load of Indian “expatriates” some with questionable qualifications. Funny thing is that whenever the company has a pruning or retrenching exercise not of these Indians are touched despite the fact that they earn much high salaries than average Zambians. So called Indian expats never really lose their jobs. Those that leave Zambia go to their previous company in India or are taken elsewhere. The fact is that none of them want to go back to the low salaries in India.
The Unions i wonder who you consulted before making the move, there is a Good No. of us who wish to exit KCM but not without the benefits we have worked for over the years. The Voluntary Separation Scheme which is running is a good one if it has no restrictions, as most of us who have tried to exploit it have ended up being rejected. I am hoping KCM goes ahead with the retrenchment as it might give us opportunity to exit KCM with a fair package
Nobody showed solidarity with the 11 managers when they were gotten rid off. What irony.
What goes around comes back around. This is a clear testament that the selling of KCM to those Indian jokers was full of corruption by the Mwanawasa administration who handled the exercise after Anglo American pulled out.
let us go you minions
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