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MUZ asks govt to take over Chambishi Metals operations By Zu
By Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Tue 29 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT [122 Reads, 1 Comment(s)]
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THE Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) has asked government to take over operations of Chambishi Metals as the mining firm is operating on half capacity.
In an interview yesterday, MUZ secretary general Oswell Munyenyembe said the union had since notified President Rupiah Banda about the matter.
“The Company is operating at half capacity, only the cobalt plant is working and they are only 380 workers. Before the company was put under care and maintenance, it had about 1700. We want the government to take a step like the one it took on Luanshya mine,” he said.
And Munyenyembe said the union asked President Banda during their meeting in Mfuwe on Saturday to ensure that mining houses reduced on the number of expatriate workers coming to take over jobs that could be done by Zambians.
He said Zambia had enough competent people who could work in the mines.
“We cannot have an expatriate to come and work as a surveyor, we have a lot of graduates in this country who could do such jobs. Look at this situation the lowest paid expatriate at KCM (Konkola Copper Mines) gets about US$8500, and we don’t know how much they get from where they come from,” Munyenyembe said.
He said some expatriates had been in Zambia for about 20 years and wondered how an expatriate could stay in the country for such a long period of time.
Munyenyembe called on the relevant government ministries to institute investigations in order to establish how working permits were issued to expatriates coming to Zambia.
He said during the meeting, the union also raised the issue of infrastructure in the mining townships on the Copperbelt Province which he said was in a bad state.
“Mine workers in these townships are frustrated, they wonder where the money they make is going because infrastructure is bad in these areas. They feel the government is not doing enough that is why each time there was an election the MMD was losing, but in response†the President said the councils were collecting a lot of money from the mines. He (President Banda) promised to look into the matter,” he said.
He disclosed that the union also raised another issue pertaining to the KCM workers who were fired between 2000 and 2004.
“Some of these miners were dismissed on medical grounds, and they where claiming for their benefits. When President Banda was Vice-President when he came to open the agriculture show, he mentioned about this matter and promised that government was going to address the matter but up to now nothing has happened,” he said.
He said President Banda promised to address all these issues, adding that he (President Banda) and the labour leaders had since agreed to have a series of meetings where they would further discuss the issues raised.
“We would be happy if the President could implement all the promises he made,” said Munyenyembe.
During the meeting with President Banda, MUZ leaders were lead by their president Rayford Mbulu while the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers(NUMAW) was led by the NUMAW treasurer Richard