Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has announced that it will next week Tuesday start paying off the money owes its suppliers and contractors. This follows Friday’s protests by hundreds of contractors and their employees who blocked the entrance to the KCM general offices in Chingola in protest against non payment for eight months.
Addressing the media after a six hour closed door meeting with contractors, Minister of Mines Christopher Yaluma, Minister of Labour Joyce Simukoko and KCM Chief Financial Officer Sharad Gargiya said the first payment will be done this Tuesday.
Mr. Gargiya said the payments will continue until January to ensure all labour-based contractors and suppliers are paid within 30 days.
Mr. Yaluma said KCM must fulfill its promise and pay all its contractors within the time it has given itself. Mr Yaluma said government wants to see harmony between the Vedanta-owned firm and its suppliers so that the operations of the mining giant are sustained.
He directed KCM to start paying all its suppliers and contractors every month to ensure the bill does not accumulate again.
And when he addressed the protesting contractors who kept vigil at the KCM general offices entrance, Mr Yaluma said he had fulfilled his promise to ensure their money is paid.
He explained to them that KCM has transferred money to their accounts but due to the Christmas break, the funds will only reflect on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Simukoko has urged KCM and the contractors to strictly follow Zambia’s labour laws. Mrs Simukoko said labour laws in the country are clear and she expects both the mining firm and contractors to pay decent wages to their employees.
And Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors President Augustine Mubanga has urged KCM to stick to its promise and clear its debt within 30 days. Mr Mubanga said KCM has over the last eight months given fake promises and became hostile to the association for simply following up on what is due to its members.
He said it is unfortunate that a matter which would have been sorted out between his association and management had to attract protests and two Cabinet Ministers to resolve.
OK… KCM has announced that Yaluma will be in Chingola till Tuesday next week… Yaluma naumfwa, we don’t want to see you in any other town untill we get the voices of those that will be paid on tuesday ….
I’m saddened as I quote: “…employees who blocked the entrance to the KCM general offices in Chingola in protest against non payment for eight months…. 8 MONTHS……. PLEASE IF LABOUR LAWS ARE SO WEAK, LET US REVISE THEM, HOW COULD SOMEBODY GO WORKING FOR 8 MONTHS WITHOUT PAY???
Mission accomplished by a promise.
Why not wait until this is fulfilled because come Tuesday the minister could be embarrassed.
A promise is WIP (work in progress )
Nonetheless your efforts have been registered
Every time its a CLOSED DOOR meeting …and this time you have the biggest empty tins in PF cabinet in that selfsame meeting – Yaluma and Joyce Simukoko.
Now go to Horse Shoe Restaurant and leave out that hypocrite Joyce Nonde to sort out racism. Be careful you may be subjected to racism as well.
Please vote nez as best blogger 2016. I thank you all
How the whole can go Minister push for payments,even proudly spending nites waiting for process to complete.,!
Ths is misplaced priority, lack of serious agenda. When politicians don’t respect the law, the result is none bothers to; hence KCM is not bothered.
Now the Minister is made to spend nites berging a company to do what it’s obliged to do.
There is nothing to be proud of Mr Minister, blame yr government for reckless approach to managent resulting in lawlessness,impunity.
If you see your father peeing in the sink do u surely think the children won’t pee in the sink? Govt itself has not paid it’s contractors & suppliers for over 8 Months. KCM Indians copied from PFailed Govt. There’s no money in circulation in Zambia right now due to all companies copying Govt’s non-payment of suppliers.
PF00LS thought they would eat roads (funded by Chinese). Only stup1d f00ls measure the country’s economic performance on roads funded by borrowed Chinese money.
You are right. To the PF working means inspecting roads and borrowing more. That is the whole GRZ , only inspecting projects.
Then we this other empty tin saying mission accomplished, while this same non payment mission has been going on for 8 months. What a joke of a goverment.
And this is the job that ministers do and they even want deputy ministers. I think as a nation, we are really sick.