5 March 2008
editorial
Ndola — WE are perturbed by events at Chambishi Copper Smelter (CCS) on the Copperbelt where striking workers went on an orgy of destruction yesterday.
The workers set ablaze a dumper truck and guardroom, shattered kitchen windows and damaged a water tank at the Chinese-owned company.
While the workers may have a right to press for improved working conditions, it certainly is not right to use violence as a way of achieving this. Rioting for whatever reason has never been an avenue for airing grievances.
In fact, it is a crime under the laws of Zambia and has tended to work against the very people engaging in rioting as a bargaining tool.
The workers, who were on strike on Monday surprisingly returned to the CCS plant yesterday to continue with their strike. But upon arrival, they turned violent and they should not be surprised if the law takes its course over the damaged property.
It includes such property as a kitchen and a water tank, which are of great benefit to the workers.
The workers depend on the kitchen and the water tank for their daily routines and what will they be using when they resume work.
Quite puzzling is the workers' stance to take the law into their own hands when CCS management and the National Union of Mines and Allied Workers (NUMAW) are ready to renegotiate the disputed working conditions.
According to CCS public relations officer, George Jambwa, documents for the union-management meeting on the improved working conditions are still being prepared.
We are of the opinion that the workers should have given their union time to meet management and discuss their grievances.
Since Monday, a lot of groundwork had been done so that the workers get better salaries.
But with the latest development, it will be difficult for the two parties to make any meaningful progress because of the amount of property that has been damaged.
Our appeal would be to the workers to learn to give dialogue a chance and follow laid down procedures of collective bargaining.
Money meant for development programmes at the smelter must now be found to repair the damaged property so that the workers can operate in a conducive atmosphere.
The investment put into the smelter was at great cost and damaging the property will only derail management plans to raise money and invest more in improving conditions of service.
As for management and investors coming into Zambia, it will also be wise for them to have a listening ear each time workers raise pertinent issues such as salaries.
While it may be difficult to give in to workers demands each time they complain; there must certainly be room for a smooth information flow.
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