Maravi

Police deny Mpelembe Drilling workers permit for demo

Police deny Mpelembe Drilling workers permit for demo
By Zumani Katasefa
Thu 26 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

MPELEMBE Drilling Company (MDC) workers have complained against police’s decision to deny them a permit to stage a peaceful demonstration to pressure government to intervene in the non-payment of their over-six-months salaries.

Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) Mpelembe branch chairman Geoffrey Lishika complained yesterday that the police asked the workers to instead seek permission from Kitwe district commissioner McDonald Mtine for them to go ahead with the demonstration.

"Police have denied us a permit and they asked us if we could just hold a meeting or see the district commissioner before we could stage our demonstration," complained Lishika.

He said it was sad that workers were not provided with a platform through which they could air their grievances. Lishika said workers had made several complaints to the government over the problems they were going through but it had never come to their rescue.

"The government should help the company get the K6 billion the defunct Roan Antelope Mining Corporation owes the company; this would help the company sort out some of its problems," said Lishika.

He complained that a few weeks ago workers were just given K500,000 salary advances and wondered what one could do with such little amounts of money.

He said some employees on half salaries had not received their half salaries for nine months.

Lishika said among other things the workers were complaining about were unpaid Christmas bonuses for 2007 and 2008 and that widows had not received their benefits.
Last month wives of Mpelembe workers from Mufulira demonstrated against non-payment of their spouses’ salaries.

Labels: DEMONSTRATION, MPELEMBE DRILLING COMPANY, SALARIES

posted by MrK @ 11:16 AM