MANAGEMENT at Chibuluma Mines in Kalulushi on the Copperbelt will not lay off any miner at its south mine despite the global economic crunch and the decline in copper prices on the international market.

Chibuluma Mines general manager, Ed Mounsey made the assurance on Wednesday when Mines Minister, Maxwell Mwale, Labour and Social Security Minister, Austin Liato and Copperbelt Minister, Mwansa Mbulakulima visited the mine.

The three ministers, who were on a fact-finding mission to identify solutions to the current global economic recession, held two separate meetings with union branch officials and management.

Kalulushi member of Parliament, Anson Simama, Kalulushi Town Clerk, Maxwell Kabanda and senior officials from the Mines Safety Department also attended the meeting.

Speaking shortly after holding a closed-door meeting with senior mine management officials led by Mr Mounsey, Mr Mwale said the Government was pleased to learn that Chibuluma would maintain all the workers despite the current economic problems.

The minister commended management for taking necessary measures aimed at keeping the company viable in view of the global economic crunch.

"Management here has been proactive. They have put in place the necessary measures that have lowered the cost of production and have not laid off any worker and this is what we want as Government," Mr Mwale said.

Mr Liato commended management at Chibuluma for accepting the Government's suggestions to reduce on the number of expatriates as a cost saving measure during the current problems facing the mines.

He said that the mine had agreed that if everything else failed, it would reduce its number of expatriates by 33 per cent.

Speaking in an interview later, Mr Mounsey acknowledged the difficult times facing the mines but indicated that management was determined to retain the entire labour force.

"We have prepared a survival plan and we are hopeful to get through this critical stage of the crisis. Our strategy has been to reduce on capital expenditure but again increase on copper production, hence, our desire to keep all our people," Mr Mounsey said.