Thursday, March 28, 2024

KCM defies Sata

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Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has defied President Michael Sata’s directive not to fire a single worker by going ahead to terminate contracts for 76 employees at its Konkola shaft in Chililabombwe.

On Friday last week, KCM announced that it would lay off more than 1,500 workers, claiming the move was in a bid to move towards mechanisation and automation in view of decreased copper grades at some of its mines.

This prompted President Sata on Monday to warn the mining firm that it risked having its mining licence revoked if it proceeded to lay off a single worker from the 1,500 workers earmarked for retrenchment.

Mr Sata said the Government would not succumb to any kind of threat and blackmail as it stood ready to serve the interests of Zambian workers.

“And please Mr Fackson Shamenda (Labour Minister) go and tell Mr (Kishore) Kumar (KCM chief executive officer) that if he is threatening us that he wants to lay off people, let him lay off one person, we shall take his licence away from him.
“That is the best way of laying him off because, firstly, investment should be for people and if Mr Kumar wants to threaten and blackmail us he will go. We shall sort him out,” Mr Sata said.

Meanwhile, the affected workers confirmed that they received their contract termination letters yesterday and wondered why KCM management had backdated them to September 19, this year.According to the letters to some of the affected workers, dated September 19, 2013 and signed by human capital and management (HCM) manager Eve Banda, the workers ceased to be employees of the company on October 19, this year.

The affected workers, mostly from Konkola shaft number one, were being advised to consult HCM business partners for exit formalities.

“Reference is made to the termination of contract clause in the offer of fixed term contract of employment with Konkola Copper Mines Plc which states, either party may terminate this agreement by giving the other party 30 days written notice.

“Accordingly, we wish to advise that your contract of employment will be terminated effective October 19. Your last working shift will, therefore, be on October 19 this year,” reads the letters in part.

The letters indicated that the affected employees would be paid in accordance with the terms and conditions of their contracts and would include wages worked for, gratuity and accrued leave pay.

KCM public relations manager Joy Sata declined to comment on the matter.On Friday last week, Mr Kumar said KCM had started laying off 1,529 workers, claiming the move was in a bid to move towards mechanisation and automation in view of decreased copper grades at some of its mines.KCM has more than 8,000 workers while 12,000 are employed in companies contracted by the Vedanta Resources-owned mining giant.

[Times of Zambia]

64 COMMENTS

    • Not every one is as gifted as you are. This is a cry for the masses who put food on the table for other masses.

    • this is when leadership skills come in, lets see if sata is skilled enough as a leader of a nation to see both sides win(the mine and the workers) this issue needs skills, instead of your kaponya threats ba sata, lets see what you will do now. i already have a solution in my mind, but i wont post it. i want to see.

    • With all those qualifications, and you still can’t find employment how do you expect these people to get work that easy.
      When you learn to be a thinker then the employers will come calling, till then a PhD is just a piece of paper.

    • That’s too low man. You can’t put that mwenye Khumar on same level as Sata.
      Just wait and see how nasty this gonna end with KCM management.

    • KCM are at the mercy of the Zambian government. President Sata can nationalise the mines anytime, after all he has executive powers to so.

  1. Vadenta know that KCM’s mining license is protect under the ZDA Act despite some monkey making noise about cancelling it.

    • Foreign Investments are protected under International Law including stabilisation and umbrella clauses all recognised and justiciable under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes convention including our own ZDA. The President spoke under emotion and not guidance of law……sorry bakateka.

    • If international investments are protected by Law, how do we explain the pillage and pilfering of Zamtel from LapGreen? RSZ ? by PF (custodians of the Law)
      Zambian govt IPG’s (Investment Protection Guarantees) are just inked sheets of paper archived in the Secretary to the Treasuries Office, which will oneday empty the state coffers once litigation is sought and ruled in favor of the plaintiff. Zambia has no significant foreign investment besides leaking TAZAMA pipelines & rusty TAZARA wagons all in neighboring Tanzania hence our ignorance of international norms and practices is understandable.

  2. The game has just started, PF is warming up a Player while Kumar nods in a goal for KCM in the early minutes, yeyeyeyeyeyee lets wait and see

    • @Ex ZIT,
      You are extremely funny, I can’t stop laughing after reading your posting, a good morning for me. Actually right now I am on the tube to work and have shared it with a friend sitting next to me. We are having a good laugh!

  3. No.5, I wonder how you would feel if your own father was called a monkey. Whatever your feelings on an issue, please give due respect to everyone:your father, your siblings, the head of state etc. Every human being deserves respect. My President is not a monkey my friend. He is a person who won the hearts of the majority of Zambians who then gave him the mandate to preside over the affairs of our nation.
    But secondly, much as Mining licences are protected, Mining companies are not going to act against the interests of the countries in which they operate. The owners of the land have powers to ensure that citizens are not taken advantage of. Keep that in mind my friend.

    • TheEngineer(Australia) says:
      November 7, 2013 at 10:13 am | Permalink
      He his a person who won the hearts of the majority of Zambians before they released he was a monkey.

      You claimed to be educated and you insult the president and yet you can’t even spell the word “REALISE” you keep saying “RELEASED” If you were educated enough, you would have REALISED your mistake already by now. Funny how the educated “TheEngineer(Australia)” and write properly in english and yet insults the president and claiming the president is not educated. May be “TheEngineer(Australia)” and the president belong to the same class. Hahaha!

  4. All employees in mining sector should put salaries into good use this sector is unstable I’v been a victim once so I kow wat am tlkn abt

    • I,also.
      In Canada, it is the norm and before someone calls me a “monkey.”
      We used to lose jobs faster than the Stocks rose and fell. The government is not even allowed to be involved. Investors the world over are in it; to make money and not take care of the workers. You can end up being branded a Communist if you are not careful.

      Bill Gates once told Homer Simpson that: He did not get Rich’ by signing cheques.
      No’ I am not educated, but I know when a bunch of guys are about to lose their jobs.
      Like it or not, we shall just have to find something else, Mang’ande is partially, if not outright right.

  5. Those employees they received letters before the Announcement from the president it’s according to their contracts of employment , You reporters don’t mislead the nation on things which you don’t know.

  6. No. 5, I insist that our President is not a monkey and only a minority like you think like that. so don’t conclude that all Zambians think the way you do. Surely, you are entitled to your opinions. But please, do not call the President of Zambia a monkey. I have asked you a question: would you like your father if at all you have one, to be disrespected in this way?

    • Boss, almost if not all of us have nick names. The Zambian President’s are: CNP, Ukwa, King Cobra, Chilufyanya and so on. Mr Banda was called Nyama soya, Levy was called Cabbage, Chiluba – shorty. Are you related? if yes please have a big hart as RB would put it and look the other way. Mr Chilufyanya (Sata) called Chibamba Kanyama as Lusaka Economist. BWANA!, these are just nick names bwana as Winter would put it.

    • The reasons why we can call him by his nick names is that he tough us to do so. After all he is our Grand father. He also called Salasini as Paraffin, Chanda Chimba as Chanda Chi imbwa, Ernest Sakala as Ernest Sa kala, Hichilema as Ichilema and “Under 5? the list goes on………………………………

    • @TheEngineer(Australia
      The word is ‘realize’ and not ‘release’, you can use your local language people will get you

    • Ladies and Gentlemen, Micheal Chilufya Sata is prone to error, just like you and me.
      After all to ‘err is to human.’ A monkey he is not.
      Just because the majority of Rednecks choose to call me a monkey does not justify the insult.

    • Sorry Chris, I mean’t to thank you for your comment and insistence.
      Let the same people complain to the Zambian people the day a so-called racist calls them ‘a monkey’.

    • @Mwansa Mulenga (pardon if you are not the one), I totally agree with you that no matter one’s views they should not insult the president. The problem we have however is that people like No.5 have low reasoning ability and no matter what you do, the guy ni chumbu mushololwa! His levels of education also fall into question just look at his comment at 12.1 you’ll realise that the guy is a misfit.

  7. Zambians you are so bankrapt in the mind that you hate your own people would like them to suffer, and would like foriegner to rob you of your wealth, and that you remain poor and beggers , that copper belongs to you why give it away to thieves for nothing. Infact it is you and your relatives who are loosing and you are laughing

  8. These guys are daring GRZ to cancel their licence then sue for billions,indians have been known to insure their shops and when business is bad,they burn the shop and claim insurance.GRZ be careful.

    • There is an entity called India-Zambia Business Council which has only Indians on its board and as its members. Do we really have to allow this as Zambians?

  9. iwe ka theEngineer(australia) na ka italian presidential,if you don’t have sensible comments just shut up and listen to the wise.

  10. Sata is so useless just likes talking and no action. Wonder who gave him the name man of action. Challenge him a bit and you will see him bury his head in sand.

  11. @2 Engineer(australia)
    Which one a u refering to as monkey? Kwena wiso limbi no bu colour takwete bamufyalileko fye iwe we chipuba pafipuba. Can imagine what your father is to ve brought a pure lunatic like you. How can monkey convince milliions of us educated zambians, only a pathological imbecile like u can think that way. If you ve your prefered person want in state house why not use your anus to campaign for him quietly.
    Dont insult the president…cheap over glorified artisan posing as engineer.

  12. iwe ka Chris Mulenga just accept the truth that your chisata is a useless bemba man. He is a chimbwi no plan or better for you a monkey lol! no one takes this fossil for real and it really sucks to accept that Zambians voted and put such low grade leadership as their best choice ! It says it all about the aspiration of people of Zambia. damned and doomed!

  13. Presidential Etiquette:

    “And please Mr Fackson Shamenda (Labour Minister) go and tell Mr (Kishore) Kumar (KCM chief executive officer) that if he is threatening us that he wants to lay off people, let him lay off one person, we shall take his licence away from him.
    “That is the best way of laying him off because, firstly, investment should be for people and if Mr Kumar wants to threaten and blackmail us he will go. We shall sort him out,” Mr Sata said.

  14. Sadly the labour laws in Zambia are still weak on retreched workers.Imagine why should employees who are inconvenieced or employers who have breached there matual employment agreement wake up the other day and decide to terminate employment of there employees citing this and that,then pay you off a meagre 2 months for each yrs served?Govt should revise this through an SI to oblige employers who opt to trim there work force pay employees who have served atleast 5yrs on 3months pay for each year served.If MPs get there benefits after 5yrs why not workers?Global business is changing fast so goes for the countries economies.Please Bwana Minister Hr .F.Shamenda repeal the outdated laws regarding retrechment packages.Workers are going away with peanuts.

    • That is capitalism, my friend. By liberalising the economy, that is what we opted for: those who have the capital control those without. Simple. Why do successive Zambian governments always call on foreign investors and fail to promote the locals?

  15. The problem with this so called man of action is that he thinks he is God, who can just say things and they happen! sorry to those who believe in him but this man is costing Zambia a lot! Even the Lap Green grab is going to cost Zambia dearly watch this space! KCM are on firm ground, we may not like it but they know they are legally protected!!!

  16. Lmao muzungu wanna bes lying ati I have this that nipa internet apa dont lie to us get a life a real one zambians are suffering and you put your fantasy of what you wish you had achieved kekekekekekekek please whatever your real name is you would not be here on lusaka times you d be in a lab or near bill Gates or one of the greats stop lying

  17. Its democracy.. why not continue with the Voluntary separation scheme..and why did you reject my VSS KCM PLC?? VSS..is it because the rate at which people are not applying for VSS? Agony IS TO ASK PEOPLE TO WRITE VSS….AND ONLY TO HAVE THE CREAM AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS HANDING IN VSS LETTERS….

  18. If sata revokes KCM’s licence, 20,000 people stand to lose their jobs. Can he risk that? No chance. He just has to humble himself and dialogue with Vedanta and learn a big lesson for the future.

  19. Government talks too much without actions. PF pliz take action, we are tired of your lip services. Talk and Act. Atleast KCM said they will lay off 1,500 workers and has started doing just that…

  20. But the 76 you guys were initially MMS employees and after MMS demise KCM took them up on Fixed term contract of 1 year, their contract have just come to an end, if you have to accuse KCM of anything here, accuse them of not renewing their contracts, the 76 have nothing to do with the 1,529.

  21. O much has been said by Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) through press releases.

    Yet very few people have taken time to analyze these press releases. If you can recall, KCM once boasted about being the largest employer with a workforce of over 10,000 at the time of privatization.

    Today KCM has 7, 945 employees meaning that over 2, 000 employees have been outpaced. Reasons given were high cost and low productive, which is the same story today.
    What has changed today? Nothing! KCM has misplaced priorities which has led the mine to where it is today. 2008-2009 they introduced “OUTSOURCING OF SERVICES” which if you check your record they denied.

    However, they went ahead and outsourced the following Nchanga Underground – Mechanized Mining Services (a South African Company) MMS, Nchanga…

  22. Joy Sata is not related to the President.

    With respect to the whole debacle surrounding KCM and its lay-off decisions…I feel for the families but the reality is that any business will look to cut costs where it can as well as implement newer technologies. Mining is increasingly capital and technology intense at the expense of largely unskilled labour, hence the lay-offs.

    My next remark (I wish to preface it by saying I am not anti-Indian in any shape or form). However, corporate India is not known for being producing serious mining companies of global repute. We sold Luanshya Mine to Binani….that didn’t work out well. Vedanta may be UK listed but it is a mining group controlled by Indians…they are considered jokers in mining circles the world over. We’ve been fooled twice,…

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