MMD, ex-miners ‘alliance’ will not work - Kaluba

MMD, ex-miners ‘alliance’ will not work - Kaluba
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Mon 03 May 2010, 03:20 CAT

NATIONAL Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) national secretary Goodwell Kaluba has charged that the government has totally failed to address miners’ concerns.

And Kaluba has observed that the ‘alliance’ between the MMD and some ex-miners will not yield anything. In an interview, Kaluba complained that the miners’ concerns had fallen on deaf ears despite the many meetings held with the government.

He said issues such as engagement of expatriates at the expense of Zambians had been a major concern to the union for a long time now.

“We as a union are very disappointed with government because they have totally failed to address the concerns of our members,” he said.

“There are a lot of things happening in the mining industry. Just recently in Lumwana, there was an overhaul and people came in from South Africa to work on that. Surely, did all the jobs happening there require the services of expatriates from as far as South Africa?”

Kaluba said mining firms like Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) had an influx of Indians working on jobs that could be done by the locals.

“A lubricator, are you telling me this country cannot afford to produce a lubricator? Some of those people have even come to learn these jobs from Zambians. During negotiations when we raise these issues, companies give a lot of excuses but how does government give these people permits when they know that we have a lot of qualified Zambians who are just roaming the streets?”

Kaluba wondered. “Yes, we know that these investors have bought the mining companies but the rules of the land must be respected.

Zambians should be a priority when they are employing. Of course there are certain jobs that need expatriates but we can’t have foreigners working as artisans. It is very disappointing. We don’t know where we are going with this government.”

Kaluba implored the government to change its attitude, saying unions looked forward to seeing more Zambians in employment.

And Kaluba said the ‘alliance’ between the MMD and the ex-miners would not succeed because it involved former president Frederick Chiluba who had failed the miners when he was president.

He said some miners that were laid off in the Chiluba era died without ever getting their monies from the so-called trust fund. Kaluba described as a joke Chiluba’s promises to help the ex-miners.

“If Chiluba turns around today and says that he will help the ex-miners, that is just a joke. It is just politicking. I would like to tell those ex-miners that it won’t go anywhere,” observed Kaluba.

Last Thursday, Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) secretary general Oswell Munyenyembe said he did not see how miners would support the MMD in 2011 if the government continued ignoring their plight.

Munyenyembe also complained that the engagement of expatriates at the expense of Zambians was one such concern that had not been addressed.

Munyenyembe also accused the MMD of sponsoring some elements to challenge him and MUZ president Rayford Mbulu at the just-ended MUZ elections.