The Nkanddabwe Chinese Collum Coal Mine (CCM) Workers have gone on strike demanding for improved condition of service and improving safety at the mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province.
Nkanddabwe ward Councilor Partson Manguje and the CCM Director Xu Zian Rui disclosed the scenario to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) that the workers from shaft two and three blocked the road leading to the mine and threw missiles at the Chinese managers.
Mr Mangunje said quick action from Sinazeze police officers saved the situation as they dispersed the protesting miners.
He said it was pathetic that workers were getting a salary ranging from K200, 000 and the highest gets K500, 000 per month.
The Councilor noted that the slave wages have incensed the workers who were unable to feed their families from the meager salaries they were getting.
Mr Mangunje also alleged that shaft two and three managers were employing boys who are12 years old to be operating underground.
He said the scenario was against the Zambian laws and against the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles of child labour.
CCM shaft two and three Director Zian Rui said the situation at the miner was dangerous as 300 miners opened the gates and entered the Chinese premises to fight them.
He said about 10 people were injured and their aim was to kill the Chinese managers.
Mr Zian Rui said management was ready to negotiate with the workers and reach at a consensus thatthat was satisfying to them rather than resorting to violence.
He said without the police someone would have been killed.
The CCM Director for shaft three and two noted that the failure to increase the workers’ salaries have been as a result of poor market as few customers were buying coal that the company has produced.
He said once the situation improved the workers’ salaries would be improved in April and May as currently the company was operating at Zero profit.
[ZANIS]
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Conditions conditions. Yet only yesterday we were being told the economy is on the up. One can only wonder what the situation is like for those that can not even down tools! I love my country though!
Highest gets K500,000.00? This must be a lie!
Chinese briefcase investors, wait till i became president of this nation. Wina azalila!
One employee lost his job at Chinese owned Chambishi Copper Smelter for disputing that the lowest paid employee gets K2m per month. This was when Mr Rupiah Banda went to open the smelter. Those who are arguing like Veteran can simply go to Chambishi T/S and ask any one there. They will give you the chaps details.
Does post #4 make sense in any way?
I love rnaideg your articles of life,love and perspective. You have such a great way of putting life into shape. Thanks.
Can someone help me with information and data concerning coal mining in Zambia? They can forward the info to [email protected]. Thanks
#4, Deja Vu. You think Veteran cares. He doesn’t see anything wrong with exploiting his brothers and sisters. So dont waste your time and energy making a reference to him. In any case Chinese people are hardworking. One wishes Zambians can emmulate them.
GRZ should sooner and not later find money for setting up a HEALTH AND SAFETY directorate to be responsible monitorig and making ensuring that employers take responsibility for their employee’s health and safety. Wake up GRZ, these are the same people who voted you in office. Enact a law if non presently to prosecute these bad employers.
I think it’s high time our Government reconsiders Chinese Investors. They mistreat Zambians and they have no morals for our brothers in the mines. Can the Government put up a monitoring and Evaluation System that should follow Safety Standards and Procedures before we lose more lives in the mines?
Work and you will be paid accordingly. For instance, “a long dispute means that both parties are wrong”. So why down tools and why pay low? The Chinesse are even paying well as compared to what a maid gets as an employee working for a Zambian. Its time we sort ourselves out and stop paying slave wages to ourselves before we castigate investors. Our labour laws provide for such wages. Look at Zambian contractor working on a road project, how much do they pay for unskilled labour? Guess its around ZK2,500 to 8,000 per day, foolish law and we want to tell the Chinesse off. Let us clean the nation ourselves before pointing fingers.
Many poeple find themselves hit hard because they did not prepare for the economic downturn. Your points about the Chinese are an indictment on Americans as we spend well beyond our means-and that lack of control hurts us and our families. You made a great and timely comparison!
#5 Wanungiya. You mean you cant understand that simple posting. #s7 $ 8 There is a department that looks into what you are suggesting. Every week inspectors from MSD visit all mines in Zambia without exception. Problem is these officer are powerless. Examples abound. The Bigrimm affair is dead and noone has been punished. Reason is these investors are well protected so much that a mere inspector will no enforce any law or regulation.
People assume that because these things are happening, that there is no government structure to monitor such things. There already is. But, like Deva Vu says, what can a mere inspector do enforce laws??
Ah, so ChooChoo lied. Amazing how much ioimroatfnn is just plain wrong on the net.However, since the wrong version makes for a much more interesting entry, it will stand.Poetic license and all that… ;-)