MINE workers unions have rubbished calls to have them probed for corruption over their U-turn to support the return of Vedanta Resources PLC to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).
The mine unions have described the calls as extremely unreasonable because their decision to support the calls for the return of Vedanta was based on saving the mine and the jobs of their members.
National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) Saul Simujika and his Mine workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) counterpart Joseph Chewe said the unions would not be shaken by people making allegations against them over calls for the UPND government to bring back Vedanta.
Mr Simujika said the unions wanted Vedanta back because the decision was made in good faith after realising that the situation at the giant mine was becoming desperate.
Mr Simujika was reacting to mining expert Edward Simukonda who has called on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate the mine workers unions following their recent calls for the return of Vedanta to KCM.
Mr Simukonda is reported to have said that there was likelihood that the unions were involved in corruption after their recent U-turn to support the return of Vedanta to KCM.
But Mr Simujika said people should understand the operations of KCM and its current status before issuing disparaging remarks against the unions whose decision was to save the mine and the jobs of the miners.
“We decided to U-turn on the issue of Vedanta not because we were given money but because we wanted to save the mine which was getting flooded and jobs of our miners. If the mine gets flooded, there will be no jobs for our members.”
“So before people can say anything, they should understand the operations and what was happening at the mine. KCM is producing less than 5,000 metric tonnes per month when it was supposed to be producing more than 10,000 metric tonnes per month. As unions, this is a great concern,’’ Mr Simujika said. Mr Simujika said there was little or nothing which was happening at KCM, claiming that the mine was surviving on the hand-outs from the government, hence the need for re-capitalisation from Vedanta before it could completely be wasted.
