Government has given Huan-cheng Mining Limited a two weeks ultimatum to improve working conditions for Zambian workers at its Manganese Refinery Plant in Kapiri Mposhi district.
Central Province Minister, Sidney Mushanga gave out the ultimatum when he made an impromptu fact finding visit to the company following reports of poor working conditions and mistreatment of Zambian workers at the Chinese owned company.
During the visit Mr Mushanga discovered that the workers had no proper protective clothing and were subjected to wages as low as K25 per day which is below the minimum wage.
Mr Mushanga also discovered that the employees work without signed contracts and were compelled to work without off days.
“What I have gathered is that there is no job security here and no job description because workers can be fired anytime and can be forced to do any job. We have also received reports of the bad abusive language you are using against the workers. I want to warn you to stop and follow Zambian labour laws,” Mr Mushanga said.
Mr Mushanga has since ordered management at the company to hire a human resource practitioner within a month’s time to manage working conditions related issues at the company.
“All these issues are as a result of lack of a formidable human resource personnel to help you strictly follow Zambian labour laws, so I’m giving you one month to engage one,” Mr Mushanga said.
He said government will endeavor to protect Zambian workers by ensuring that investors abide by the country’s labour laws.
” We want these investments to continue but we want these investors to do the right thing and follow labour laws,” Mr Mushanga said.
And Huan-Cheng Mining Director, Zhau Zongliang assured Mr Mushanga that management will attend to all the issues raised.
Huan-cheng Mining employs over 100 Zambian workers at its manganese refinery company producing Ferro Alloy.
This is not the only Chinese company doing that, it is all of them. If you serious with what you are doing Mushanga go to Pacra and get a list of Chinese companies and visit all of them.
was due diligence done before the mine could open?
Is it the new thing now to just issue warnings without punitive steps being taken?
Can such an approach be used in China itself by the labour authorities to correct such a thing?
Was the labour department there at any given time?
Keenly follow the government actions that are henceforth populist it being an election year! All along its like the leaders have been sleeping if not concentrating on lining their pockets and not worried about what was happening to the rest of the country and its citizens. Now its like the point of accounting for time spent in elected office has arrived too soon and the alarm clock has gone off waking them up with a start! Yes, this is the period that electors become important and lots has to be attended to in limited time! The question is where were you all the while?
Can someone from labour also check at Varun beverages where there are a lot of so called expatriates breaching the current labor laws.
CAN’T MANGANRSE BE MINED BY ZAMBIANS FOR SURE? DO WE STILL NEED ANGLO-AMERICAN, CHINESE, ETC TO JUST COME AND DIG A HOLE IN THE GROUND TO EXTRACT MANGANESE? TO MAY BE UNDERSTANDABLE WITH MINERALS SUCH URANIUM.
SOME FEW YEARS BACK I TRAVELLED TO LUAPULA PROVINCE FROM LUSAKA VIA KSERENJE. I COULDN’T IMAGINE/BELIEVE THE FACT THAT WE INVITE FOREIGNERS (MAINLY THE CHINESE TO JUST COME AND DEFACE OUR LANDSCAPES WITH PICK AND SHOVEL IN THE NAME MANGANESE EXTRACTION. NO REAL CAPITAL GOODS INVOLVED- WHICH QUALIFIES ZAMBIANS THEMSELVES TO DO IT.THERE IS ABSOLUTE LACK OF TRUSTING OURSELVES.
The government should be serious with what thy r doing,I report for work as early as 06hrs and I knock off around 00hrs I am in kabwe if thy want all the details call me I am available 24/7
The ministry of labour is sleeping
Its boring to read PF government failure to stand up to Chinese companies who are mistreating and paying Zambian workers £1 per day.
PF government takes pleasure in dehumanising Zambians – Change is good for Zambians
DO U EVEN KNOW THE USEOF MANGANESE? HOW IS DUG AND PROCESSED? DO U EVEN HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO DIG ? LET ALONE EQUIPMENT? AS AN AFRICAN ZAMBIAN U KNOW NOTHING APART FROM LAZINESS, TODAY I SPENT WHOLEDAY WITH ONE CHINAMAN ON SITE HE WAS DRILLING A BOREHOLE BUT QUIET AMAZING FOR THIS MAN HE WAS BUSY EVERY SECOND AS BUSY AS A BEE FOR 8 STRAIGHT HRS. I WONDR IF A ZAMBIAN LET ALONE A BLACK MAN CAN WORK LIKE THAT.
What a useless govt …why dont you send them to court? You know that when they call Beijing you begging fooools will be in big soup!!
Can this same Mushanga go to Chambishi copper smelter and see how many Chinese CEOs are there without a Zambian being given a position of a manager.