(STEELGURU) Zambia government failed to address the concerns of their members - Mining workers unions

COMMENT - Hiring foreign workers completely undermines the government's excuse for not taxing the mines or receiving dividends because 'they will bring jobs'.

Zambia government failed to address the concerns of their members - Mining workers unions
Tuesday, 04 May 2010

Mining workers unions in Zambia said that the government has failed to address the concerns of their members and have threatened not to support the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy during next year’s general elections.

National Union of Miners and Allied Workers and the Mine Workers Union of Zambia charged that the government has failed to represent its nationals in among other concerns the increased recruitment of expatriate personnel in mining companies at the expense of local skilled labour.

Mr Goodwell Kaluba secretary of National Union of Miners and Allied Workers said that the government has totally failed to address miners’ concerns particularly over the increasing number of expatriate labour being brought into the industry which was taking away the jobs meant for local people.

Mr Kaluba complained that the miners’ concerns had fallen on deaf ears despite the many meetings held with the government on several issues affecting them. Issues such as engagement of expatriates at the expense of Zambians had been a major concern to the union for a long time now.

He said that we as a union are very disappointed with government because they have totally failed to address the concerns of our members. 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.

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

He said that 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.

He implored the government to change its attitude, saying unions looked forward to seeing more Zambians in employment. And the alliance between the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy and the ex miners, intended to address their concerns would not succeed because it involved former president Mr Frederick Chiluba who had failed the miners when he was president.

He claimed that some miners that were laid off in the Chiluba era died without ever getting their monies from the so called trust fund, describing as a joke the former president’s promises to help the ex miners over their plight.

Mr Kaluba said that 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.

Mr Oswell Munyenyembe GS of Mine Workers Union of Zambia said that he did not see how miners would support the MMD in 2011 if the government continued ignoring their plight. He also complained that the engagement of expatriates at the expense of Zambians was one such concern that had not been addressed.

He claimed that several foreign mining companies including Konkola Copper Mines, Mopani Copper Mines and Luanshya Copper mines, among others, were importing labour from India, Indonesia and other parts of the world to come into Zambia and do jobs that the locals were trained to do.

(Filed by Mr Kapembwa Sinkamba SteelGuru Correspondent Zambia)