Maravi

KCM miners to stage demo next Monday

KCM miners to stage demo next Monday
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Thu 19 Aug. 2010, 14:10 CAT

MINEWORKERS Union of Zambia (MUZ) secretary general Oswell Munyenyembe has disclosed that the planned peaceful demonstration by Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) miners will take place on Monday next week. Munyenyembe said the peaceful demonstrations would go on as planned on Monday and the union leadership had already notified police in Kitwe, Chingola and Chililabombwe.

On Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ) moderator Reverend Moses Mwale’s accusations that the union was inciting miners to rise against the government, Munyenyembe urged the clergyman to be honest with himself and see what the miners were going through.

He said the union leadership was not imposing its opinion on its members because the members had given them the mandate to represent them.

“Let him Rev Mwale just eat properly whatever he is getting from government. Some of these churches are compromised, they are no longer good shepherds to lead the flock,” Munyenyembe observed.

“Officially, there are 143 expatriates at KCM. We need to remind this reverend that there are over 300 Indians at the smelter doing jobs that can be performed by Zambians. Can a Zambian go to India and work as an artisan or a fitter?” Munyenyembe asked.

And National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) national secretary Goodwell Kaluba advised Rev Mwale to keep quiet if he did not know the problems facing miners at KCM.

Kaluba said there was nothing political about opposing the outsourcing of key departments at KCM.

He said Rev Mwale should understand that outsourcing was a real issue which if not addressed had the potential of sending so many workers to the streets.

“Now if that can please him, then I don’t know what kind of a reverend he is. Even as he preaches, he needs to preach for the welfare of the people. If he Rev Mwale is saying what he is saying to please the government, let him join the government and pack his Bible,” Kaluba charged.

“The reverend doesn’t know the problems that miners at KCM are going through. The perception he has about MUZ and NUMAW is wrong and misplaced. We can support the government of the day if they do things according to people’s expectations.”

Kaluba said Rev Mwale needed to understand that the government also had a stake in KCM as shareholders and there was no way the mining company could make a decision to outsource minus the knowledge of the government.

He further said Rev Mwale should understand that with outsourcing, a lot of people would not have permanent jobs and this would encourage casualisation which the government said they were against.

“He should also understand that the incentives that miners are enjoying with KCM will not be enjoyed when they start working for contractors and for sure some people will lose jobs because it will be up to the contractors to renew or not to renew their jobs,” he said.

Kaluba said his union would make every effort to ensure that KCM rescinds its decision to outsource.

Labels: DEMONSTRATION, KCM, MUZ, OSWELL MUNYENYEMBE

posted by MrK @ 4:59 PM