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(LUSAKATIMES) Retrenchment fear grips miners on the Copperbelt

Retrenchment fear grips miners on the Copperbelt
November 25, 2008

Fear and anxiety has gripped miners on the Copperbelt province following the decision by some mining companies to cut jobs due to the decline in Copper price that has drop by over 50 per cent at the London metal exchange in the last four months.

The mine workers unions, who have called for an urgent meeting with President, Rupiah Banda, have revealed that so far about 286 miners have lost their jobs at Mbwana mukubwa, 26 at Chambeshi Metals and another 50 at Kasanshi.

Speaking at a joint Press briefing held at Katilungu House in Kitwe today Mine Workers Union of Zambia, MUZ, President Rayford Mbulu and National Union of Miners and Allied Workers, NUMAW, Mudia Sikufele of the revealed that most of the mining companies that they were negotiating with had indicated that they intend to cut the labour force if the current fall in Copper prices continues.

Mr Mbulu said it was unfortunate that Government last week left them out of the meeting it had with the Chief Executive Officers of the Mining Companies at a time when the workers in the sector were not guaranteed of their jobs.

He said it could have been positive if Government had invited the Unions who were the workers representatives , Chief Executive Officers of the mine companies to dialogue with Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane on strategies on best ways of addressing the problem.

He added that fear and anxiety has griped the miners over the impending retrenchments hence the need for Government to quickly intervene as dialogue was the only solution to the problems in the mining sector.

And Mr Sikufele emphasised the need for the mining companies to maintain the current labour force and use the savings made during the period when the Copper prices were high to make the wheels of the industry go on running smoothly.

Mr Sikufele added that there was no justification for mine companies to retrench workers because they had invested heavily in developmental projects at the time when the Copper prices were very high.

He noted that the current copper prices were not too low to force mine owners to take such drastic measures as retrenching the miners who had contributed greatly to the huge profits made during the time when the copper prices were at their peak.

ZANIS/LK/ENDS/SJK

Labels: JOBS, MINERS, MINING

posted by MrK @ 12:55 AM