Zambia Maamba Coal Miners Threaten Strike Over Pay -Union
Posté: Mar 15 Sep 2009 17:11
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Workers at Zambia's largest coal producer, Maamba Collieries, have threatened to go on strike next week over unpaid salaries, union officials said Tuesday.
The workers have not been paid for the past four months which is causing labor unrest at the mine, said Oswell Munyenyembe, the general secretary of the Minerworkers Union of Zambia. Until last year, Maamba was the largest supplier of coal to Zambia's copper and cobalt mines.
The colliery has been dogged by mining disruptions since last year hampering output. As a result copper mines secured coal from foreign suppliers, which left Maamba with no customers.
Last month, Maamba management asked the government to ban coal imports to protect it from collapsing. However, most copper mines continue to import coal from regional producers from Botswana and Zimbabwe.
According to union officials, management is expected to hold talks with workers this week to avert the strike.
Company officials could not comment immediately.
The Zambian government owns Maamba Collieries through its mining company, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investments Holdings, or ZCCM-IH.
In March, ZCCM-IH announced that Singapore-based Nava Bharat, had won a bid to acquire a stake in Maamba but the final deal has not been concluded.
-By Nicholas Bariyo, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; +256 75 262 4615; bariyonic@yahoo.co.uk [ 09-15-09 0627ET ]
Document NRG0000020090915e59f00010
Workers at Zambia's largest coal producer, Maamba Collieries, have threatened to go on strike next week over unpaid salaries, union officials said Tuesday.
The workers have not been paid for the past four months which is causing labor unrest at the mine, said Oswell Munyenyembe, the general secretary of the Minerworkers Union of Zambia. Until last year, Maamba was the largest supplier of coal to Zambia's copper and cobalt mines.
The colliery has been dogged by mining disruptions since last year hampering output. As a result copper mines secured coal from foreign suppliers, which left Maamba with no customers.
Last month, Maamba management asked the government to ban coal imports to protect it from collapsing. However, most copper mines continue to import coal from regional producers from Botswana and Zimbabwe.
According to union officials, management is expected to hold talks with workers this week to avert the strike.
Company officials could not comment immediately.
The Zambian government owns Maamba Collieries through its mining company, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investments Holdings, or ZCCM-IH.
In March, ZCCM-IH announced that Singapore-based Nava Bharat, had won a bid to acquire a stake in Maamba but the final deal has not been concluded.
-By Nicholas Bariyo, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; +256 75 262 4615; bariyonic@yahoo.co.uk [ 09-15-09 0627ET ]
Document NRG0000020090915e59f00010