DJ reported that workers at Zambia's Luanshya Copper Mines are expected to sign a recognition agreement with Chinese owned NFCA Mining as the company continues to revive operations at the mine.

Mr Sikufela Mundia president of the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers said that the recognition agreement is the first step toward allowing the miners to be represented by the union to negotiate better terms at the company which were handed over to NCFA a unit of China Nonferrous Metals Company Limited in June.

Mr Mundia said that "We are signing the recognition agreement today after that we shall be mandated to represent the interests of workers."

Officials said that NFCA came under fire from unions and government in June after it started recruiting workers on short term contracts at Luanshya. However, the company has since hired up to 1,730 workers at the mine on permanent and pension able terms.

NFCA resumed underground mining operations at Baluba Copper Mines in August after nearly nine months after being closed by its former owners, Bein Stein Resources Group and International Mineral Resources due to low global metal prices. The company expects to reach full scale production at the mine by December.

NFCA expects its workforce to increase to 4,000 when its starts developing the Mulyanshyi copper project. The company has been under pressure from government and politicians to improve its labor relations.

(Sourced from Dow Jones)