Mon, 28 Aug 2017 12:36:24 +0000
By Rogers Kalero
MOPANI Copper Mines (MCM) should not sacrifice innocent miners, contractors and suppliers because of its failure to negotiate the power supply agreement with the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC)’ Kantanshi Member of Parliament Anthony Mumba has said.
Mr Mumba said, instead of retrenching miners and terminating the contracts of suppliers and contractors, MCM should retrench the expatriates who were getting a lot of money compared to Zambians.
He was reacting to the decision by MCM to terminate contracts of more than 300 suppliers and contractors following the stand-off between the giant mining company and CEC after the introduction of a cost reflective tariff.
Briefing the press at his residence in Mufulira, Mr Mumba said that it was unacceptable for MCM to retrench more miners again before the wounds of the 2015 retrenchment could heal when more than 4,000 miners lost their jobs.
Mr Mumba said the retrenchment of more than 4,000 miners in 2015 was painful, although it was justified by the low copper prices, but the retrenchment of miners now, at a time the metal price was high, would not be acceptable.
“The stand-off between MCM and CEC is a commercial transaction which the two companies should resolve without involving the workers, contractors and suppliers, but it is sad that MCM wants to sacrifice the miners, contractors and suppliers,
“This is unfair and not in order. The business differences between the two companies should not be extended to the miners and contractors. MCM could save tremendously if they cut jobs of expatriates rather than touching the local workforce thereby reversing the spirit of job creation for the local mines,” Mr Mumba said
He said Government directed MCM and CEC to negotiate the power increment which was a commercial transaction and so he would like to warn that this should not instead translate into cutting jobs.
