KANSANSHI Mining Plc management has saluted labour leaders from five trade unions for the commitment exhibited during the just-ended collective bargaining process for improved conditions of service for the 2,350 unionised workers at the First Quantum Minerals’ subsidiary mine.

The management team from Kansanshi Mining Plc and union leaders from the Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia (MUZ), National Union of Mining and Allied Workers (Numaw), United Mineworkers Union of Zambia (UMUZ), Miners and Allied Workers Union (MAWU) and Consolidated Mining and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CMAWUZ) agreed to a salary increment of 15 percent for this year and 11 percent for 2022.

The negotiations for the 2021 to 2022 collective agreement which commenced in October 2020 were successfully concluded on Wednesday this week after 13 bargaining sessions.

Kansanshi Mining Plc general manager, Anthony Mukutuma, thanked all the representatives from the five trade unions for the commitment displayed in securing better conditions for their members.

He said the mining company was grateful that union representatives from both branch committees and national executive committees, who sat on the collective bargaining unit (CBU) showed maturity in ensuring that they sealed the best terms and conditions for their members and appreciated their resolve to continue supporting the company’s productivity improvement efforts.

“Kansanshi Mining Plc is pleased to announce that it has concluded negotiations for improved conditions of service for the next two years with five trade unions which, collectively, represent 2,350 unionised employees at its mine in Solwezi,” Mr Mukutuma said in a statement released yesterday.

He said management was pleased that a collective bargaining agreement was now in place and that the employees and management can therefore focus on production, supporting local communities and, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, building business resilience.

Some of the highlights from the agreed conditions of service, are that, the minimum basic salary for the lowest paid employees has been adjusted to K4,460 per month, education allowance has increased to K2,800 per term for 2021 and to K3,108 per term for 2022.

The parties also agreed to introduce a company-sponsored private pension scheme for all employees to which Kansanshi Mining Plc would contribute five percent of an employee’s basic salary. – Story courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.

Government has awarded local authorities and fire services workers a six percent salary increment graduated in the range of three to eight percent.

This came to light at a signing ceremony held at Twangale Park in Lusaka yesterday.

Local Government Permanent Secretary Eddy Chomba said improved salaries and conditions of services would be financed using the Local government equalisation Fund and local authorities locally generated revenues.

Bishop Chomba directed local authorities to ensure that they develop strategies to improve revenue collection efficiency and productivity to enable councils provide satisfactory services to people and pay wages on time.

He said the Ministry of Local Government will also strive to ensure that the collection of revenue by councils is improved.

Bishop Chomba further said government would continue to release Local Government Equalisation Fund monthly amid austerity and economic recovery measures embarked on and amid the COVID-19 era.

“This measures are aimed at improving the economic performance of the nation, thereby demonstrating the importance that the government attaches to ensuring that councils provide satisfactory services to the people,” he said.

Earlier, Zambia Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) President Kingsley Zulu appealed to government to strictly adhere to the resolutions from the negotiations and not shelf them.

Mr Zulu also expressed the need to restructure the way negotiations are conducted by not creating a feeling that the outcome is predictable.

“We demand to see more in future negotiations because we do not come to the table with the sole purpose of achieving salary increments but also to better the conditions of service of employees,” he said.

And Fire Services Union of Zambia (FIRESUZ) president Josphat Zulu reminded government that workers motivation has a direct positive impact on the production and service delivery.

Mr Zulu said his union had noted with sadness that the government has continued to offer workers salary increments that translate to almost nothing.

He also expressed the need for government to ensure that markets and bus stations, which are the main sources of revenue for councils are depoliticised.

“The interference in Markets and bus stations is what has led to indebtedness in councils countrywide,” Mr Zulu said.

Meanwhile Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) Chairperson Amos Musonda directed all council Town clerks in the country to open their doors to union leaders to make sure they resolve conflicts that may arise from time to time.

Ambassador Musonda said militant unionism is ancient, hence the need to always promote dialogue.

Zambia has become the latest country to deposit its instruments of ratification for the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Agreement with the COMESA Secretariat. This brings the number of countries that have ratified and deposited the TFTA instruments to nine. The Agreement needs a total of fourteen ratifications by the Member States to enter into force.

Responding after receiving the instruments, Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe applauded the Government of Zambia for the bold and significant step taken in supporting regional integration and ultimately the free movement of goods and services not only in COMESA but more importantly in the wider Tripartite region covering EAC, COMESA, and SADC. The ratification took place on 15 th December 2020.

The TFTA brings together twenty-eight countries with a population of over 700 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$1.4 trillion. Additionally, the region accounts for almost half of the membership of the African Union and sixty percent of the GDP of the African continent.

Once operational, the TFTA will enable the free movement of goods, services, and businesspersons all of which stimulate economic activity in the region thereby improving the lives of ordinary people. COMESA Trade experts say the Agreement will serve as an impetus for investment in Africa’s cross-border infrastructure. It is estimated that Africa needs to invest nearly $100 billion annually in infrastructure over the next decade. Less than half of this target is met currently. One of the reasons for the low level of investment has been poor coordination across the different trading blocs. Building infrastructure will also create additional jobs and foster the development of engineering services.

The Trade Experts add that the TFTA goes a long way in addressing the issue of overlapping membership by bringing together three of Africa’s major Regional Economic Communities (RECs) namely, COMESA, EAC, and SADC. It provides a key path to harmonization and effective implementation of trade and trade-related instruments of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

COMESA is a regional economic community established in 1994. It brings together 21 African Member States with a population of 560 million people into a cooperative framework for sustainable economic growth and prosperity through regional integration.

Page 1Other countries that have so far ratified and deposited the instruments of ratification with COMESA Secretariat include Namibia, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, and Botswana. The Kingdom of Eswatini has also ratified but is yet to deposit the instrument. In addition, five countries are currently in advanced stages of the ratification process, including Comoros, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

“The prospects for the larger markets and supporting infrastructure will spur industrial development. This will not only create jobs, but it will also have the added advantage of diversifying Africa’s economies that are largely dependent on raw materials. The associated technological development will lead to the creation of new industries,” Ms. Kapwepwe added.

The International Monetary Fund has revealed that it is now studying the recently launched Zambia Economic Recovery Programme to see how it could help finance it.

IMF Communications Director Gerry Rice announced during a press conference in Washington that the Fund is now assessing how it could support the program and reform efforts, through possible Fund financing.

Mr Rice stated that following Zambia’s request for a financing arrangement with the Fund, its Director of the Africa Department, Abebe Selassie, and Zambia Mission Chief for Zambia, Alex Segura-Ubiergo, visited Lusaka in December, and held high level discussions with the Zambian authorities on the economic recovery plan and on that request for a Fund?supported program.

Mr Rice also stated that the IMF takes note of that recent policy announcement for a zero rate value?added tax on fuel.

“While intended to protect consumers against possible price increases such measures tend to be regressive and do not benefit the most vulnerable groups,” Mr Rice said.

“But, again, this is set in the context of my discussions with the authorities and our assessment of how we might be able to move this forward.”