Administrateur du site
Messages: 4394
Inscription: Jeu 30 Juil 2009 16:48
Localisation: la seyne sur mer
First Quantum miners split on engaging lawyer in talks
By David Chongo in Solwezi
Mon 24 Jan. 2011, 04:00 CAT
MINERS under First Quantum Minerals (FQM) mining division at Kansanshi in Solwezi are divided on whether to accept or reject management’s proposal to engage a lawyer during negotiations in the 2010-11 collective agreement.
But National Union of Mining and Allied Workers (NUMAW) president Mundia Sikufele advised his members to reject any involvement of lawyers in the negotiations.
Alex Chenga, FQM NUMAW branch chairman said that mine management had proposed that a lawyer represents the company during negotiations for the 2010-2011 collective agreement.
Chenga said when the issue was initially discussed with NUMAW and Miners Union of Zambia representatives, they rejected it but some miners were under pressure to concede because their counterparts under Kansanshi Mine had agreed to the proposal.
Sikufele said the miners didn’t need a lawyer to negotiate their conditions of service and called on FQM mining division workers from the two unions to reject the proposal.
He said the issue of having lawyers in the negotiations was a non-starter and was not supported by regulations.
Sikufele said representatives from the union and the company could still negotiate and agree like in the past and saw no reason such a circumstance should now be brought in.
The two unions at both firms are set to go for negotiations today.