Chinese owned mine ordered to reinstate fired workers
By SANFROSSA MANYINDA
COPPERBELT Minister Elisha Matambo has directed China Copper Mine Management to immediately reinstate, unconditionally the 28 fired employees who staged a protest over management’s failure to provide decent toilets, long working hours among other challenges. Mr Matambo said it was high time the mining firm started treating employees well. He also encouraged management to revisit the salary scale according to labor laws and build proper toilets for workers. Mr Matambo was speaking when he toured the mine to familiarize himself with recent stand offs at the firm. China Copper Mine (CCM) is a Chinese mining investment that has created hundreds of jobs for the local people since it started investment in Zambia’s Chingola District in 2010. The company has however in the recent past been having issues with employees downing tools on several occasions due to alleged slave wages and inhumane treatment. “I am not happy with the company’s management for mistreatment of employees who have been subjected to inhumane conditions such as poor sanitary, unhygienic dinning hall, 12 hours shifts without day offs and slave wages among others. “ As long as I remain Minister of the Copperbelt, I will make sure that our people are treated in a manner that is befitting a human being and ensure that there will be no more slavery treatment for our people,” he said. Mr Matambo said Zambia’s mining policies were supportive of private sector investment, which was vital for the country’s economic growth, but that this did not mean investors must subject local people to poor conditions of service. He added that it was unfortunate that workers were not free to express themselves to him in the presence of management as many had been fired for expressing themselves when Government officials visited the company under the former regime. He further assured the workers that time for fear to freely express themselves was long gone as the new government wants people to air their views freely. Mr Matambo said a well remunerated worker was a motivated worker who would greatly contribute to high production.
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