Government has constituted a committee to look into the plight of miners at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district.
Home Affairs Minister Mukondo Lungu announced the formation of the committee at a meeting held at Collum Coal Mine.
This was after Mr. Lungu and his labour and Mines counterparts visited the mine Thursday.
He disclosed that the committee which would comprise Labour officers, the Ministry of Mines, the Chinese management,the Gemstone Allied Workers Union,and the workers’ representative will address the problems on 27 October at the Ministry of Labour and Social services in Lusaka.
Mr Lungu appealed to both the management and employees to work in harmony as the discussions are going on and urged the Chinese investors not to use firearms on innocent people.
He said government was alarmed over the shooting of 12 miners at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine and President Rupiah Banda has conveyed his sympathy to all the affected employees.
Mr Lungu who was sent by President Banda to find out the root cause of the shooting incident at Collum Coal mine was also accompanied by Labour Minister Austin Liato, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale.
He said government would engage the Chinese investors to abide by the Zambian laws than resorting to the use of a gun.
[pullquote]“ We are interested in the investors and employees so that they live in harmony, President Banda is also interested in the welfare of employees at place work that is why he sent us here to find the root cause of the shooting incident,” Mr Liato said. [/pullquote]
Mr. Liato said that government is interested in the mutual relationship between employees and the employers for social dialogue to be achieved all the times.
“ We are interested in the investors and employees so that they live in harmony, President Banda is also interested in the welfare of employees at place work that is why he sent us here to find the root cause of the shooting incident,” Mr Liato said.
Mines and Minerals Development Minister Mr. Mwale also said government want to encourage investment though the investors should respect the employees and follow the country’s laws.
He said there should be a fresh start to address the problems at the mine because in the past his Ministry had failed to address them.
The Chinese Collum Coal Mine employees’ representative Ebby Siamuvwele told the ministers that they operate without having leave days, sick leave, and there were no written condition of service.
Mr Siamuvwele said they get their money through a window rather than from a bank and the Chinese manager beat them while they were on duty with impunity.
Ubupuba pa Zambia! Kwati tamuli bakalamba sure? How do you put pressure after consulting with the bloody Chinese government? Someone commits a crime and then you go to ask if it is ok to put pressure on him? What type of nonsense is this?
This is just nonsense! Such investors should be kicked out but alas we have a government which thinks not about the poor Zambian but only the foreign investor. I don’t see anything tangible coming out such a committee. just a sheer waste of taxpayers money
LT why deleting my posting????????????????? are part of the bloody chinese??
The chinese are now selling bullets in Darfu to the arabic dominated rebel groups which is killing our african brothers in southern Sudan just becoz they want oil from that country. F.u.c.k chines!!
We all thought this kind of behavior left with Welensky upon our Independence—I guess we were all wrong.
Our father of the nation, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, once protested this slave-master mentality of using a window to serve humans/Zambians. This is exactly what colonialists did, they wanted our black business, yet we were considered “not human enough” to walk about in their shops and pay at the front counter. Behaviour similar what these Chinese are now doing to Zambians. They want our black-a.s.s labour, yet we are not good enough to get paid a decent wage or even collect the “joke of a pay” at the front office?!
This should encense people like Rupiah Banda who partly lived through colonial Zambia. Aren’t these guys ashamed to tolerate this kind of behaviour from foreigners?
” Mr Lungu appealed to both the management and employees to work in harmony as the discussions are going on and urged the Chinese investors not to use firearms on innocent people. ”
Is he kidding?? Work in harmony? 12 people have been shot. The entire mine needs to be closed and management put on trial. He ‘urges’ Chinese investors not to shoot miners?
It is time for a new party in power. The philosophy of ‘foreign direct investment’ and bowing down to investors has to go.