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KCM, Mopani salary talks progress By Times Reporter NEGOTI
By Times Reporter
NEGOTIATIONS for improved salaries and conditions of service for both Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) employees have reached an advanced stage and the union leaders have reaffirmed their commitment towards the bargaining process.
And the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) dismissed allegations that MCM management had offered a five per cent salary increase and that employees had since rejected it.
MUZ general secretary, Oswell Munyenyembe and National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) president, Mundia Sikufele in separate interviews both said salary negotiations with the two mining firms were progressing well and would soon be concluded.
Mr Munyenyembe said reports going round that MCM had offered five per cent salary increase which employees had since rejected, was not the correct position on the matter because negotiations were still in process.
To allege that an industrial unrest was looming at MCM was misleading because the negotiations had not yet been concluded and also, neither management nor the unions had declared a dispute.
“I don’t know where those reports about MCM negotiations are coming from because as far as am concerned, we are still negotiating and in any case, we are meeting management this week for continued negotiations,” he said.
Mr Munyenyembe said while the process of collective bargaining involved the other party making an offer and the other one demanding, people should not use that as an excuse to speculate on the negotiations matters.
He refused to comment on how much MCM had offered insisting that only when negotiations were concluded will the union make an announcement to that effect.
Mr Munyenyembe said the position was the same with regards to salary negotiations for KCM employees where the union was scheduled to hold a meeting with management later this week.
Mr Sikufele also said salary negotiations for both MCM and KCM employees were still on-going and that the two unions (MUZ and NUMAW) were engaging managements for the two respective mining firms in meetings.
“The negotiations are still on-going and as a matter of fact, we will be meeting KCM management soon to continue with the negotiations,” Mr Sikufele said.
MCM unionised workers are said to have rejected the 5.7 per cent offer while, the three per cent offer for KCM workers was also rejected resulting in industrial unrest at Nchanga mine in which property worth millions of Kwacha was destroyed.