Chinese run Nonferrous Metals Africa Corporation plans to place more than 800 employees on recess at its Luanshya Copper unit in Zambia Africa’s richest copper producer when it starts rehabilitating part of its operations for 45 days.

Accordingly, 807 workers out of a total labour force of 2,528 will be put on hold following management’s decision to temporarily close part of Baluba mine one of its key operations at Luanshya Copper Mines to repair the hoisting system, expected to cost USD 4.7 million.

Mr Sydney Chileya spokesperson of Luanshya Copper Mine said that 807 employees from their processing plant underground and concentrator would proceed on recess. We have a total of 2,528 employees and out of these, 807 will proceed on recess 1,721 will remain. The 807 will continue to get their salaries they will not just get overtime and other allowances.

He said that of the 807 proceeding on recess, we are not allowing them to go out of town without permission because they are still our workers and in case we finish the project we may recall them at any time. He added that the 45 day suspension of production at Baluba Mine would not affect construction of Muliashi Mine in any way. Works at Muliashi would continue as scheduled with completion expected by the end of next year during which time mining was also expected to start.

Mr Chileya said that 807 of the 2,528 miners that operate from the Baluba underground mine and the concentrator, the two sections that would be undergoing rehabilitation would be affected during this period although the miners would still get their monthly salaries and housing allowances. During this time of rehabilitation all the affected employees will continue to receive their full basic salaries and housing allowances except for allowances such as underground allowance acting allowance shift differential and standby allowance.

He said that during the shutdown, the affected employees would not be allowed to travel out of town without prior permission from management because they remained employees of the company and may be called upon before the projected time of the completion of rehabilitation. LCM would also take advantage of the shutdown to carry out training and skills development for selected employees before they return to duty in December.

The intentions by LCM have since raised speculations among workers that the Chinese owned miner wanted to lay off some of the workers and replace them with Chinese expatriates once the new system was installed, a claim Mr Chileya has disputed vehemently with support from the Mine workers Union of Zambia which boasts of a membership of more than 2,000 of the at the same mine. LCM announced recently that it plans to close part of the mine including Baluba underground operations for 45 days from November 15 to allow for the maintenance of the hoisting system.

Mr Rayford Mbulu president of mine Workers Union of Zambia said that the decision by Luanshya Copper Mine has its blessings to ensure the safety of the mine and the workers, considering that the hoisting system needed urgent repair after more than 66 years of operation with little or no service to the system, operating 2 hours daily.

Mr Mbulu said that there is no need for our members to despair because no one is being laid off by management apart from being put on recess to allow for maintenance works to the hoisting system. We have had meetings with management and we have been assured that the mine will not be closed but only part of the affected operations will be shut down temporarily to bring in new equipment and these people will still be paid their dues and enjoy other benefits while waiting for repairs to be completed.

He said that the repairs to the operations would assist increase copper output from underground because the hoisting system would be boosted from 28 meters per second to about 18 meters per second, implying that more production would be enhanced at the mine, thereby increase the copper outturn by Luanshya mine.

And LCM has reiterated that the temporal shutdown of Baluba Mine will not affect the operations of the Mulyashi Greenfield project or the employment of mine workers.

After taking over LCM in June 2009, Mr Chileya said that China Non Ferrous Mining Corporation undertook a comprehensive study that revealed that most of the equipment was outdated due to lack of reinvestment which had contributed to the perpetual closures the mine had experienced under its previous owners.

Initially, the suspension of operations was earmarked for the July to August period but was postponed to November and December owing to the delay in the delivery of equipment from South Africa. Officials from the Mines Safety Department have already been to South Africa to inspect and certify the equipment as per legal requirements and are satisfied.

(Filed by Mr Kapembwa Sinkamba SteelGuru Correspondent Zambia)