Miners at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine (CCM) have continued with their strike action while Management together with the Sinazeze police has picked three workers for allegedly inciting others to stop working in Southern Province.
A check at the Mine by ZANIS in Sinazongwe district found a few miners have started work while the majority has vowed to continue the strike and wait for their Gemstone and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (GAWUZ) President Sifuniso Nyumbu to address them.
The strike has entered day five since Friday last week when workers refused to go under ungrounded until the Chinese management effect the new salary increment that was signed in September 2007.
GAWUZ President Mr. Nyumbu said in a telephone interview from Lusaka that the Ministry of labour was handling the matter in which CCM has refused to increase the salaries for workers.
Mr. Nyumbu reaffirmed that the workers were supposed to be given an increment of K600, 000 across board with effect from September 2007 but Management has failed to honour the promise despite signing an agreement.
He revealed that in their desperation to have the workers get back to work, the Chinese connived with the Sinazeze police to arrested three workers who they alleged to have incited others to go on strike.
The GAWUZ president said it was unfortunate that even after talking to the Sinazeze Officer in-charge to release the workers they have continued to be detained over an industrial matter.
He said he has written to the Inspector General of police to intervene in the matter and have the workers be released because they were not violent as the issue was being handled by the Ministry of labour
.
Mr. Nyumbu said after the workers strike the Chinese Management decided to increase their salaries by K1000 which was far below the agreed amount and the workers have rejected it.
He said the K1000 increment meant that those who were getting K10, 040 per day would then be getting K11, 040 per day.
“The situation is purely a violation of industrial matter the police should not get involved if the workers are peaceful,” he said.
Mr. Nyumbu noted that Management was also imposing on the workers to belong to a union that they wanted but they have rejected.
On Friday the miners said they do not want to belong to the Mine Union of Zambia (MUZ) because they failed to improve their conditions of service with management.
Mr. Nyumbu said belonging to Union was the workers right not for management to impose on them.
[ZANIS]
RUBBISH! BE REAL, YOU CHINESE MANAGEMENT! How do you increase K1 pin honest
What is wrong with us zambians? how do let such slaverly acts to continue? two miners have been arrested for what? can the people of sinazongwe protest? stand up people slaverly is over? damn…LPM you call yourself a lawyer? but let such acts to continue…?
The police should not meddle in labour matters. The police should not connive with the Chinese. What is their interest? Shame on them. It is the workers’ rights to fight for what belongs to them. An increment of K1000, what is it? Even if labour is that cheap in Zambia, is that renumeration anything to talk about.
This the Futurre of ZAmbia, another Chinese Sattelite state, to be raped and abused, Zambia soon will become like TIBET…..
I’m just so sick and tired of hearing these lame stories about Chinese investors mistreating the local population. I think Mr Sata could have been right when he suggested chasing them out of our land.
Where they come from, they can’t even make half the money they are reaping us of. There’s too many of them in their damn country, so zed has become a great destination for them.
Levy P. Cabbage Mwanawasa is a disappointment
these chinese pipo soon will take over our country. honestry speaking what is K1000, the money i use to buy sweets for my children when i knock off? if they think this money is useful to feed the family why cant they do visevasa. let them get that increament of K1000 and give the zambians K1 million increament. PLEASE GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA SEND THEM AWAY AND BRING GOOD INVESTORS OR EVEN THE ZAMBIANS THEMSELVES CAN DO IT.
BA INVESTOR NA MATULOPIKO MU TOWN NA MANONG’O MUMENSO NE FIBATULOPIKO FYA KU CONGO IFYA YELLOW. INVESTORS INDEED.
One pin? My foot! Or maybe i misinterpretted the statement above?
Iwe number 5? what is wrong with you chap? i should have told your mother to have an abortion when she concieved you. nobody is interested in sucking your small di** (pick tore) and your bruised ba***. grow up you fake gangster? remember you behavior is a clear reflection of your family and level of education. stop behaving as if you suffer from fists….wali kwata njilinjili mwaiche iwe? or secondary bola bola. uli chipuba kwati wiso…who has failed to discipline you. ifwe inga twali kuma kale, we have no time for such stupidity.
The Chinese have been a significant development partners for years to date- what has gone wrong with these ones?