The 18 miners recently dismissed by China owned Non Ferrous Metals Africa Corporation Chambishi Mine on the Copper rich region of Zambia are unhappy with their terminal benefits offered by their employers.
There was no immediate comment from National Miners Union and Allied Workers officials or mines minister Mr Maxwell Mwale as they all remained unreachable when contacted on their phones on March 5 on the matter. However media reports said the affected miners, dismissed for alleged riotous behavior resulting in subsequent damage to property involving more than USD 100,000 over poor wages said they were dismayed with what was due to them in the aftermath of their dismissals.
The behavior of miners arose after a dispute with the mine owners over wages as well as the change of name of the NFCA Company to JCHX, another company within NFCA in which the workers sought to be paid all their dues before the development arose. The miners are currently facing charges of riotous behavior and damage to property last February 18 and their dismissal comes amid a court case in which they were granted USD 500 bail with working sureties.
The miners charged that despite their service to the company, they were being paid an average ZMK 560, 000 to ZMK 850, 000 despite their service rendered to the company some as much as 10 years of service. They contended that the amount being offered in terminal benefits was not enough to enable them meet various obligations including rentals and school needs for their children.
Other miners contended that the contracts signed with the company had been flouted by the mine owners and despite that they deserved to be paid what was due to them, and instead were paid half what they deserved. The unfolding saga at the Chinese mine at Chambishi, remains one of the unfolding stories of Chinese disregard of the labour laws in Zambia since 2005 when more than 45 miners died in an explosion at BGRIMM explosive manufacturing company, a subsidiary of NFCA.
Up until last year there has been a recurrence of differences between Chinese mine owners and employees chiefly over wages, a case in point was the shooting of 13 workers at Chinese Collum coal mine in Sianongwe in Southern Zambia over poor wages and working conditions. The shooting of the 13 miners resulted in widespread condemnations of the Chinese managers with some players contending that the Government was shielding culprits in the matter and demanded for justice to be done.
It was then that the two mine managers were arrested and charged with attempted murder. Although many, Zambians have complained about the government’s stance that the locals were promoting xenophobia, Zambian President Rupiah Banda was on hand last year to condemn those that cried foul over the misbehavior of the Chinese investors in the Southern African country.
Chinese investment portfolio in Zambia is in excess of USD 6 billion ranging from the mining sector and other parts of the economy where, together with other investors from various parts of the world, have received a wide range of incentives to remain in the 13 million populated nation and contribute to its growth program.
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There was no immediate comment from National Miners Union and Allied Workers officials or mines minister Mr Maxwell Mwale as they all remained unreachable when contacted on their phones on March 5 on the matter. However media reports said the affected miners, dismissed for alleged riotous behavior resulting in subsequent damage to property involving more than USD 100,000 over poor wages said they were dismayed with what was due to them in the aftermath of their dismissals.
The behavior of miners arose after a dispute with the mine owners over wages as well as the change of name of the NFCA Company to JCHX, another company within NFCA in which the workers sought to be paid all their dues before the development arose. The miners are currently facing charges of riotous behavior and damage to property last February 18 and their dismissal comes amid a court case in which they were granted USD 500 bail with working sureties.
The miners charged that despite their service to the company, they were being paid an average ZMK 560, 000 to ZMK 850, 000 despite their service rendered to the company some as much as 10 years of service. They contended that the amount being offered in terminal benefits was not enough to enable them meet various obligations including rentals and school needs for their children.
Other miners contended that the contracts signed with the company had been flouted by the mine owners and despite that they deserved to be paid what was due to them, and instead were paid half what they deserved. The unfolding saga at the Chinese mine at Chambishi, remains one of the unfolding stories of Chinese disregard of the labour laws in Zambia since 2005 when more than 45 miners died in an explosion at BGRIMM explosive manufacturing company, a subsidiary of NFCA.
Up until last year there has been a recurrence of differences between Chinese mine owners and employees chiefly over wages, a case in point was the shooting of 13 workers at Chinese Collum coal mine in Sianongwe in Southern Zambia over poor wages and working conditions. The shooting of the 13 miners resulted in widespread condemnations of the Chinese managers with some players contending that the Government was shielding culprits in the matter and demanded for justice to be done.
It was then that the two mine managers were arrested and charged with attempted murder. Although many, Zambians have complained about the government’s stance that the locals were promoting xenophobia, Zambian President Rupiah Banda was on hand last year to condemn those that cried foul over the misbehavior of the Chinese investors in the Southern African country.
Chinese investment portfolio in Zambia is in excess of USD 6 billion ranging from the mining sector and other parts of the economy where, together with other investors from various parts of the world, have received a wide range of incentives to remain in the 13 million populated nation and contribute to its growth program.
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