Chinese owned Sino metals, a unit of Non Feroous Metals Africa Corporation reinstated more than 2,000 workers it dismissed recent over demands for better wages and improved conditions of service.
Mr Wang Chunlai CEO of Sino metals said that the 2,000 of the 3,000 workers that were fired on 19 October had been asked to return to work after the intervention of the government and the National Union and Allied Workers.
Mr Wang said that about 85% of the workers had resumed work by Friday while the others were expected to resume normal operations by the weekend. The summary dismissal letters were meant for employees who were threatening others who were willing to work.
He said that the forty eight hours ultimatum given to the workers has not elapsed and employees willing to resume work should do so. The screening exercise will continue so that all the trouble shooters are disciplined in accordance with the company disciplinary code of conduct.
National Union of Miners and Allied workers officials and officials from the ministry of mines said that the workers had been pardoned over their strike action after the mines minister Mr Wylbur Simuusa intervened with a call for the mine to consider paying the workers what they deserve and in accordance with the country’s labor laws.
Mr Simuusa mines minister and Mr Goodwell Kaluba union general secretary could not be reached immediately. However, a check at the plant found workers collecting the forms from the main gate which the company has provided for the purpose of screening.
The more than 2,000 workers downed tools for more than two weeks demanding 100% salary increase and improved conditions of service from management. The workers were demanding among other conditions, that they be paid USD 400 per month across the board from the less than USD 100 per month they are paid which they said was not enough to sustain them.
Mr Kaluba general secretary of National Union of Miners and Allied Workers said that earlier more than 500 workers dismissed at the Chinese owned Sino Metals mine in Zambia a on 19 October had reapplied for reinstatement by management of the company, China Non Ferrous Metals Africa Corporation.
He added that the miners, although willing to return to work were insisting that they get a salary review of about US$400 per month across the board in addition to improved working conditions at their places of work. The strike action had resulted in some management staff and a few essential workers were forced to keep the mine running to avert damage to equipment especially at the 150,000 tonnes per annum processing smelter where several major foreign mining companies including Lumwana Mine process their copper concentrates into finished copper cathodes.
On October 20th 2011 Mr Simuusa minister of mines appealed to management to rescind the decision to dismiss the workers and called for dialogue for the sake of industrial harmony.
(Filed by Mr Kapembwa Sinkamba SteelGuru Correspondent Zambia)
