MUZ SEEK TO INVEST IN MINING AND EXPLORATION
By ROGERS KALERO
THE Mine workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) plans to invest in exploration and mining as a way of contributing to economic growth, MUZ President Joseph Chewe has said.
Mr Chewe said the hurdles that the country has faced following the privatisation of the mining industry should make the nation realise the importance of local investment in the mining industry of Zambia.
The MUZ Chief was speaking yesterday at the opening of the MUZ Supreme Council meeting which was held at Moba Hotel in Kitwe and attended by former MUZ President Andrew Mwanza and Zambia. Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Nkole Chishimba , who is also former MUZ President and now trustee
Mr Chewe said MUZ had realised the importance of moving from traditional ways of financing the organisation through subscription to setting up investment and contribute to job creation in the country.
He said MUZ through its various investments that it has set up in the past five years, has created more than 500 jobs and was now planning to take up the challenge of investing in exploration and mining after realising the hurdles that the country has faced following the privatisationn of mining industry.
“May I take this opportunity to announce to this meeting that the MUZ through its subsidiary ‘Shimaini Investment’ will begin the process to open up its own mine in our country. “MUZ believes that workers’ organisations can play an important role by investing in mining locally and contribute to sustainable decent work,’’ Mr Chewe said.
He said the year 2021 was a year of immense challenges as the mine unions strove to work on the core objective of bettering wages and conditions of service for miners and allied workers in the country.
He said two of the giant mining companies, Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) were hit with upheavals that caused panic amongst workers who feared to lose jobs and benefits.
He said MUZ and the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) held successful protests against Glencore for trying to put the mine on Care and maintenance in 2021.
“This prompted government to acquire a majority stake in MCM. The State’s mining investment arm, the ZCCM-IH which initially had 20 per cent share in the mining firm acquired 73.1 per cent making it the majority shareholder in the giant mine.
“The realisation of MCM helped to secure over 11,000 jobs , while more than 5,000 contract workers lost jobs. We call upon government to quickly state its position on the future of MCM,’ he said.
He said MUZ was totally against the privatisation of this mining company given the massive job losses, low wages, and precarious working conditions suffered by mine workers under Glencore in the last two years.
In the year 2021, Mr Chewe said the mining industry recorded a total number of 11 fatalities, of which 10 occurred at Chinese owned mines.
“MUZ is extremely concerned with the increase of mine accidents that are happening particularly in Chinese owned mines. We appeal to Mine Safety Department as a regulatory authority to intensify audits and compliance in accordance with the mine regulations Act ,’’ he said.
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