Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda has urged KCM to stop retrenching workers and that it should explore other tangible solutions to overcome its challenges.
This follows recent pronouncements by KCM to retrench 2,000 workers from the current 8,263 workforce citing downward trend in copper prices in the last one year, a move that Government opposed.
Mr Shamenda was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he toured the newly constructed KR3.5 million training centre for the Zambia Union of Financial and Allied Workers (ZUFIAW) located in Olympia Township.
“Even the Bible puts it clear that people need work to live. So, the issue of retrenching workers at KCM and other firms should not always be resorted to because there are other measures to employ to preserve their challenges.
“I want to assure Zambians that no single employee will lose their job at KCM because if these workers are retrenched, it means Government will also lose the needed revenue,” he said.
Mr Shamenda is today expected to hold a tripartite meeting involving KCM and other stakeholders to find lasting solutions on the issue of retrenchments.
He directed the Miners Union of Zambia (MUZ) to team up with KCM to ensure no worker was retrenched and that the two parties should find measures of solving the mining company’s challenges.
He said Government’s desire was to ensure mining firms and other companies operated in a conducive environment to continue creating more job opportunities for Zambians.
The Government would not want to see already employed Zambians being retrenched when other substantial solutions could be found to keep the firms continue to operate smoothly.
He also summoned Shoprite Checker’s management to his office over alleged continuous poor conditions of service for workers at the chain store.
He warned that Government would not tolerate investors exploiting Zambians at the expense of making wealth without considering improving their working conditions and salaries.
Pass through Kapiri and sort out this mess. People are already fired. I hope your Government is paying well to Casuals with your hopeless accountants, principals and directors. Up to now I find it difficult to get my acting and my salary arrears as far back 2003 during HHIPC completion point. My file is full of requests and answers are always There is NO MONEY.foolish Chaps. Am coming back soon and ready to face courts.
Why did you get your monies/arrears during MMD regime? 2003 is a long time.
You are not a proffessional person to talk about how useless accountants are.Please find out about the role of an accountant in an orgasation.
@Ba Mrs. Phiri, I think you are lost. This is not a government website, and no one will be threatened that you will take them to court. And tuma Zambian lawyers are more than happy to misuse your legal fees. Just because elo mwakwatako access to internet doesn’t mean you should bring in your family affairs.
Zambia needs to seriously watch out for slave labour tendencies in our mining industry. These manifest themselves through very many ways, such as;
1. Failure to by mining companies to build decent institutional houses for their workers thereby forcing them to live in Hostels very far from their families. This causes bad sexual behavior, disease, death and destitute families.
2. Perpetual casualisation of workers that render services of a permanent nature.
3. Labour broking where mini g companies contract their friends and relatives’ companies to employ cheap labour and subcontract it to the mies at profit margins of hundreds in %. These are the real issues!
mr shamenda what you are saying a no brainer! just like you and your sata (who is now in japan enjoying money from subsidies) removed subsidies on fuel and nshima… now production costs have increased ,, those mines are threatened! you cant just stop them from laying off people
Dont just sit back and expect the government to be feeding you! Work hard.
@Paölo Di canio
what do you mean dont sit back and expect the govt to feed you??
Those people were promised free food, free jobs and more in their pockets if they voted for sata and PF,, and guess what, they voted for him and PF,,, so its just right for them to expect the fulfillment of the promise…hahahahahahahah
Mining companies are playing dirty – the maximum cost to company that mining companies spent in Zambia to Produce, Process and Transport 1 Tonne of copper is US$4,000. Copper prices are currently floating in the range of US$8,000to US$8,500 PER TONNE. This amounts to profit margins of between US$4,000 and US$4,500 per tonne OR US$120,000 to US$135,000 PER ZALAWI TRUCK on the road to Durban. at a delivery rate of at leat 20 trucks per 2 days, these guys are making profits of at least US437million per year ONLY FROM THE ONE mine where ZALAWI is contracted. And how much of this money is our country seeing? Mugabe grabbed 51% from them and they are NOT PULLING OUT of Zim, what does that tell you? By the way, the copper price is projected to reach US$15,000 PER TONNE in 10 years!!
Careful Hon Minister. Arbitrary and populist decisions could sink that company and result in a worse situation. Better to let go of 2000 and save 6000 jobs than risk losing the entire 8000 if the company went under. You could probably consider tax relief to the company to keep it affloat as a way to protect the 2000 jobs.
This company doesn’t any tax relief at $7000/tonne they can still a make a huge profit. These so called investors are trying to hold the country at ransom.
Hey KCM miners just a timely advice never believe a politician
SHAMENDA/GOVT GIVE US FACTS AND FIGURES LEADING TO SUCH ABRUPT EXECUTIVE DECISION/S.
I KNOW IT WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN.
Samenda,
You Keep your protruding illiteracy to yourself please. I advise that you immediately sign up for Finance and Managerial Accounting 101 with any of the tertiary business institutions in town.
These companies are not state enterprises accustomed to capitalization with tax payers’s funds, instead they are for profit making entities at the whim of their shareholders. They cannot and will not ignore their wage bill and risk to deliver a tsunami to their principals in safe havens where they have nothing to do with populist utopia.
Not mentioning complicated econometric, Shamenda should arrest his wholesale blind communism utopia and quickly go for a boot-camp baptism in Managerial Accounting 101 at the lowest with any smart head in town. Present the curriculum here framed up free of charge.
1. Job-Order Costing
2.Process Costing
3. Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Relationships: If he has to appreciate how changes in activity affect contribution margin and net operating income.
4. Activity-Based Costing: A Tool to Aid Decision Making
5. Differential Analysis: The Key to Decision Making.
We are tired of these embarrassing decrees from leaders 48 years after independence.
You are asking too much from a grade 7
agreed. also add on the fact that his gray matter cells have shrunk from age and maybe alcohol use
citizen we do not use those things in this dynamic environment and with a lot of competition.go back to your books.may be ABC.process costing in this era?mulibakale sana ba mudala, vintu vinachinja.
Good move!!
Quite interesting.
you people if you have nothing to talk about better you just find something to do than talking la bush we are not interested the issue at hand is chop rite every meaning Zambian should support this call workers at shop rite they do suffer let’s protect one another please we are all Zambian if you can’t support your sister or brother in this country it mean you are not a Zambian go somewhere
So you expect KCM subsidize 2000 workers? From what? You led the way in removal of subsidies and have sent seventy plus ministers around the Country at great cost to the Tax payer, to explain the “benefits” of starvation. KCM similarly wants to exercise the benefits of profitability and staying afloat, and you say no! Subsidize KCM or the 2000 workers then!
Since you the govt have failed to subsidise fuel and maize,so as kcm as also faild to subsidisy the excessive 2000 employees period
That baboon Shamenda is not worried because he is having it easy with tax payers money. KCM is a private owned company and here to make money. The only thing government can do is to make sure that the company operates in a responsible manner.
Bufi
Did this dude sit down with KCM to get facts first before making this extremely dangerous pronouncement?
Govt should revisit some of the policies it recently decreed. These are the after effects. Sadly, this case may just be the beginning of what is to come.
boza
@Senior citizen. You recently qualified in this programme, per chance? Shame- a big person like you engaging in exhibitionism!
Don’t just condem. This is a serious issue. Governments all over the world get concerned when people are being retrenche in large numbers. Honestly did you expect the government to just fold handswwith no fight??. Whether he has facts or mot he Ehud start from somewhere, why evaluating the whole situation and getting more info. Those theories you are quoting from text books and simple courses don’t just fit perfectly in practice…there are so many parameters to consider as well. Be practical. Besides, it is only in Africa where companies retrench workers without warning and withou taking responsibility for the impact this causes. Encourage the minister to soldier own with viable solutions and ideas…..show us your metal strength…ideas please!!
Meant to say he has to start from somewhere, while evaluating and getting some more facts and information
Zambia is indeed being ruled by MORONS.
Thank GOD i left
KCM Management,
Please don’t listen to chaps like fackson do what is economical and retrench the 2000 workers and tell them to go to state house so that sata can employ them in his company called Bufi Zambia Ltd after all he is the one who promised them jobs. Why should chaps like Fackson and sata hold you at ransom when they can’t even run a garden. Painful as it maybe for the workers the just have to go and fackson knows that very well but he is just politicking.
Retrench them so that zambians can learn that one can do better outside formal employment! others learn the hard way. i atleast am runing my own business with 6 emplyees calling boss, my net profit per month is about KR12,000 Three times a graduates pay.
start thinking and get a life ba zambia!!!
Can Govt really stop KCM from parting with those employees as per their contract of service? as in doing so KCM would only be enforcing their rights under the respective contract!!
Mr. Minister the law is clear don’t hoodwink people…looking at the employment act & other legislation it is clear that you really have no such powers. right now your role is more of persuasion than anything.
GRZ has a pantry 20% stake in KCM…its hardly enough for them to influence anything. Its all political rhetoric by Fackson to put a public show for the ill-informed masses out there.
Fackson is either ignorant or is merely telling lies here as gov’t has no influence whatsoever on the KCM board. Its either the gov’t has agreed behind our backs again to let KCM continue enjoying the subsidised electricity. Why should a majority suffer for a few 2000 workers let them go…the PF had its chance to introduce windfall tax when everything was rosy and failed as it was hoodwinked by the foreign mines. Again here its being threaten with casual worker job losses so that gov’t does not remove incentives the are enjoying at our expense like cheap electricity.
“Fackson”. Really the jokes just write themselves.
“Fackson”. Really the jokes just write themselves.
Shamende ,running a mine is not like running a PF government which steals from its people and pay itself salaries ,ok!You as a so called former trade unionist you are used to just demanding without even producing , you can even produce but if their are no buyers what happens to the produce prices ?Go to Soweto market and see the basic rules of economics at work bwana dull minister.Mine workers even in Australia are currently losing their jobs.Stop threatening the mine owners with your PF thugs .Go and open up one in Palabana and see what it costs to mine.Once the investors run away from Zambia thats when you will appreciate them again ask your boss Satana ,he was there in 1991 when you were insulting him for tough measures FTJ took to keep the country afloat.Go and shave you dirty man.
It’s a pity to hear such a lame statement from a minister. Shamenda, you have not sat down with KCM to civilize yourself with facts behind the intended layoffs. Such pronouncements are so shaming especially that at one time, Mopani Copper Mines for instance, took a similar position to layoff workers. The then Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale counter attacked Mopani with a 48 hrs ultimatum to rescind that decision. Anyway the rest is history, employees were laid off. With this background, it would be prudent for this Shamenda to carefully educate himself on such matters before broadcasting his false hopes to the hardworking KCM employees. Layoffs are painful, but the truth will set you free.
kaili you are going to pay them with the money from the subisides you cut aint it ba minister lol
Fackwell started this problem in the first place by imposing an increase in the minimum wage without consulting anybody. We told him that was in bad faith as workers would lose their jobs and he thought we were just ‘cry babies’. It is now happening and he thinks he can still impose his wishes. You aint seen nothing yet Facky – just wait and see what will happen before the end of this year. There will be more retrenchments all over this ountry and you are to blame