Maravi

Mopani hints on further job cuts

Mopani hints on further job cuts
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Sunday, February 22, 2009 7:57:45 AM

LABOUR Commissioner Noah Siasimuna has said that Mopani Copper Mines has hinted on further job cuts. And Ministry of Labour sources have said that Mopani has notified government that it intends to lay off 929 workers between March and April.

Responding to questions from journalists in Kitwe on Thursday, Siasimuna said he was however not sure of the numbers involved in the intended layoffs that Mopani had indicated.

"I heard about it and I advised the senior labour officer in Mufulira that management gives the figures in writing because of the high numbers involved through redundancies due to the so-called global economic crisis," Siasimuna said.

"I have also advised that management at Mopani gets in touch with the minister periodically to brief him on what is happening because he might advise on how some employees could be redeployed."

But a well-placed source at the Ministry of Labour said Mopani had indicated the intention to retrench 929 workers in the next two months.

Recently, Mopani retrenched about 700 workers.

Almost all mines on the Copperbelt have retrenched workers and done away with contractors in order to streamline their operations in view of the global economic crisis and slump in copper prices.

And when contacted, Mopani chief operating officer Passmore Hamukoma queried the reporter on the source of the information on the job layoffs.

He said he could not confirm anything as he had been away in Lusaka for three days even as he spoke and that there could have been developments while he was away.

"To make life easier for both of us tell me who in Mopani wrote to who and what they wrote and then I can find out," said Hamukoma. "If you say there are people who are going to be laid off, there are lives involved, it's not just figures. Because I think what we did (lay- offs) in Mopani that was three weeks ago and that wasn't 900. So let's be careful, we're talking about people here and if it's not true, we are talking about people who are going underground and there's anxiety, they don't know whether they'll have a job tomorrow. Let's be a little sensitive."

Labels: GREAT DEPRESSION II, JOBLOSSES, MCM, MOPANI

posted by MrK @ 7:56 AM