By MARTIN MUSUNKA
GRIZZLY Mining Company has, with immediate effect, sent half of its entire workforce on forced leave in the wake of coronavirus and implemented stringent measures designed to minimise chances of exposing its employees to the pandemic.
Apart from those sent on paid forced leave, the company has identified others as non-essential employees who have been directed to work from home, in compliance with Government directive of encouraging non-essential workers to operate from home.
Group human resources manager Davy Phiri, who confirmed the development yesterday, said the decision to send half of 822 employees on paid two-month forced leave, would contribute to efforts meant to prevent the spread of the disease.
Mr Phiri said although management had proposed two months of forced leave for the affected employees, the decision would be reviewed depending on the situation regarding the COVID-19 and the workers may be recalled before the expiry of 60 days.
Other measures the emerald mining company has put in place, include reduction of vendors on the mine site, stopping all expatriate employees from leaving the mine site until the situation is declared safe and free from COVID-19 and prohibiting all expatriates on vacation from returning to work.
Mr Phiri further explained that the company had frozen job recruitment until further notice and the available employees on site have been guided on how to maintain high levels of hygiene and sanitation. Employees who are off duty have been encouraged to stay home.
He said the decision has officially been communicated to the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) following a meeting they held on March 23, 2020 regarding the environment and safety of workers in the advent of COVID-19. Grizzly Mining Company also engaged the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW and the Labour Office
2 month paid leave. There is nothing here for us to comment on. Do not waste our time with small issues. You are being paid to sit at home. What else you want
What is the rate of the Kwacha today? Is it HH again making it loose value. This HH guy must be too strong, remember when there was no rain at some point it was HH again. Failures all the way….Mealie meal price is in motion marching towards K300 from the current K215 I am sure. Oh sorry the article is about Grizzly mining, let me read it and revert….
Where is the Mines Minister?
Where are MPs, Unions, workers, mayors and all?
Why not go to protest as was the case with Mopani?
Double stands?
Something fishy going on here!
While we congratulate grizzly for the paid leave , looking at the bigger picture is very saddening to see that billions of dollars have been externalised because our precious stones are in the hands of foreigners.
We plead with PF not to allow this to happen with the discovered gold deposits. We plead with GRZ to identify youths from the gold area and other provinces and train them on running small gold mines. Give these same trained youth mines to run. Profits from gold are most likely to be used to build Zambia and employ Zambians.
Foreigners will never build Zambia
This is the mine which is Zambia’s second largest emerald mine which unearthed a historic 50kgs multi-million-dollar emerald crystal at its Lufwanyama mine in 2019 …making that stone in the photo the world’s heaviest hunk ever exhumed.
You are making alot of money …two month paid is fine but why are the records saying you have 47 full-time employees
I don’t care about once-upon rich companies.
I am concerned about citizens being brutalized by beating them on the issue of gatherings in Lusaka by chi Lusambo.
Seriously how can criminals like Lusambo and Kaizer be in habit of misusing power??? Seriously..
Two month paid is fine !!!!?????? THE QUESTION MUST BE HOW MUCH IS THAT TWO MONTHS PAY ? BECAUSE FROM WHAT I KNOW THEY PAY THEM k5,500.00 in net after all statutory deductions has been made. Now most companies have proposed to pay, two months others three months pay of someone’s “basic” . Now much is the basic of least paid employee at Grizzly or anyather mine. For ugument sake lets say one’s basic is at K6,000.00.
it is from this k6,000.00 were every thing will come out e.g 1). Bank Loan k2,500.00 , 2). Bayport Loan K1,000.00 , 3). Education Loan K850.00 , 40). PAYE Government tax @ 35% Will be k2,100.00, 5). Rentals @ K1,000.00 by 3 months. e.t.c this is why other nations have suspended the PAYE , RENTAL and other Statutory deductions like National Health Insurance, NAPSA. issue a…
Nostradamus you emotional mess. That is why you are discriminated against abroad. Be level headed and stop using emotions to argue your points for once in your sad life
KZ nkakuponona boyi, you know that.
Haha nostra you are proving me right again. Why do you easily get upset and so overly sensitive? It is a sign of weakness and people will pick up on it. Just word of advice from someone who has won election battles