Baluba Mine shutdown won’t affect Muliashi project
Posté: Ven 12 Nov 2010 08:55
By Times Reporter
THE temporary shutdown of Baluba Mine which is under Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) starting next Monday will not affect the operations of the Muliashi project or the employment of mine workers.
LCM public relations and local business development officer Sydney Chileya said in a statement yesterday that the 45-day suspension of production at Baluba Mine would not affect construction of Muliashi Mine in any way.
Mr Chileya said works at Muliashi would continue as scheduled and completion was expected by the end of next year during which mining was also expected to start.
He said 807 of the 2,528 miners that operate from the Baluba underground mine and the concentrator, the two sections that would be undergoing rehabilitation, would be affected during this period.
Mr Chileya said the miners would still get their monthly salaries and housing allowances.
“During this time of rehabilitation, all the affected employees will continue to receive their full basic salaries and housing allowances except for allowances such as underground allowance, acting allowance, shift differential and standby allowance,” he said.
During the shutdown, the affected employees would not be allowed to travel out of town without prior permission from management because they remained employees of the company and may be called upon before the projected time of the completion of rehabilitation.
LCM would also take advantage of the shutdown to carry out training and skills development for selected employees before they return to duty in December.
Mr Chileya said the suspension of underground operations at Baluba Mine and concentrator was to facilitate the rehabilitation of the obsolete and outdated hoist system manufactured in the 1930s.
After taking over LCM in June 2009, Mr Chileya said China Non Ferrous Mining Corporation undertook a comprehensive study that revealed that most of the equipment was outdated due to lack of reinvestment which had contributed to the perpetual closures the mine had experienced under its previous owners.
The rehabilitation of the hoist system would cost an estimated US$4.7 million.
Initially, the suspension of operations was earmarked for the July/August period but was postponed to November/December owing to the delay in the delivery of equipment from South Africa.
Officials from the Mines Safety Department have already been to South Africa to inspect and certify the equipment as per legal requirements.
THE temporary shutdown of Baluba Mine which is under Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) starting next Monday will not affect the operations of the Muliashi project or the employment of mine workers.
LCM public relations and local business development officer Sydney Chileya said in a statement yesterday that the 45-day suspension of production at Baluba Mine would not affect construction of Muliashi Mine in any way.
Mr Chileya said works at Muliashi would continue as scheduled and completion was expected by the end of next year during which mining was also expected to start.
He said 807 of the 2,528 miners that operate from the Baluba underground mine and the concentrator, the two sections that would be undergoing rehabilitation, would be affected during this period.
Mr Chileya said the miners would still get their monthly salaries and housing allowances.
“During this time of rehabilitation, all the affected employees will continue to receive their full basic salaries and housing allowances except for allowances such as underground allowance, acting allowance, shift differential and standby allowance,” he said.
During the shutdown, the affected employees would not be allowed to travel out of town without prior permission from management because they remained employees of the company and may be called upon before the projected time of the completion of rehabilitation.
LCM would also take advantage of the shutdown to carry out training and skills development for selected employees before they return to duty in December.
Mr Chileya said the suspension of underground operations at Baluba Mine and concentrator was to facilitate the rehabilitation of the obsolete and outdated hoist system manufactured in the 1930s.
After taking over LCM in June 2009, Mr Chileya said China Non Ferrous Mining Corporation undertook a comprehensive study that revealed that most of the equipment was outdated due to lack of reinvestment which had contributed to the perpetual closures the mine had experienced under its previous owners.
The rehabilitation of the hoist system would cost an estimated US$4.7 million.
Initially, the suspension of operations was earmarked for the July/August period but was postponed to November/December owing to the delay in the delivery of equipment from South Africa.
Officials from the Mines Safety Department have already been to South Africa to inspect and certify the equipment as per legal requirements.