More than 2,500 workers at the China Non Ferrous Metals Africa Corporation owned Luanshya mine in the copper rich region resumed work after resolving some disparities in wages, a work stoppage which cost the company more than USD 1.5 billion in copper production.
Mr Sydney Chileya spokesperson of China Non Ferrous said that the 5 day strike action had ended after protracted negotiations with management which caused the work stoppage. The strike action finally ended on Sunday and we have agreed with miners that the matter is receiving active attention.
Production experts at the mine put the losses for copper production at Baluba, a section of Luanshya mine at about 4,000 tonnes of copper ore per day. The strike action was sparked by management’s delay to harmonise wages with those of their counterparts in different departments and sister mines owned by the same company.
The strike is one of the numerous work stoppages that have rocked the mining sector, especially on the Copperbelt, in the aftermath of the September 20 general elections in which the Patriotic Front government emerged victorious.
Workers have also staged strikes in other sectors demanding improved salaries, conditions of service and safety standards. This has prompted Government to embark on the process of reviewing current labor laws which President Mr Michael Sata and a number of ministers have blamed for the rampant abuse of workers by employers.
Meanwhile, Mr Wilbur Simuusa mines minister of Zambia warned that Luanshya copper mine to avoid using wrangles as an excuse to fail to pay their workers.
Earlier Mr Rayford Mbulu deputy minister of Labour, Sports, Youth and Gender of Zambia had directed striking miners at China Non Ferrous Corporation Luanshya Copper Mine to immediately go back to work.
Mr Mbulu urged that the miners at Luanshya copper mine to give chance to the bargaining team which included management and union officials, to negotiate and reach an agreement over the issues which the workers were aggrieved with. He directed that negotiations between management and the union should resume today and that the parties should come up with amicable solutions to whatever challenges the company was facing.
He said that the two parties should improve on their communication. They should come up with a communication strategy that will help end rumor mongering which leads to industrial disharmony. The Zambian government has since assuming power pledged not to interfere or take sides in the relationship between management and the union but would intervene where necessary.
He urged that the workers to abide by the laid-down procedure on grievance handling and dispute resolutions as stipulated in the Industrial and Labor Relations Act and cautioned that there was no issue to cause a strike.
Mr Oswell Munyenyembe general secretary of Mine workers Union of Zambia and Mr Adam Zulu VP of National Union of Miners of Allied Workers said that they hoped the workers would heed the deputy minister’s directive so that the process of negotiations could not be disturbed.
Mr Zhai Jun vice foreign minister of China said during a recent visit to Zambia that China always strives to sensitize its citizens on the need to respect labor laws in the countries where they take their investments. The Chinese investors were told to abide by local labor requirements wherever they went including in Zambia.
Mr Zhai was in the country to check on some Chinese investments, among other programs also said there was need for the two governments to cooperate and address any issues and pledged his government’s continued support to various sectors of the Zambian economy.
(Filed by Mr Kapembwa Sinkamba SteelGuru Correspondent Zambia)
