12 November 2009
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has accused some employees at the Nchanga Integrated Business Unit (IBU) of inciting their counterparts to protest in pursuing information regarding wage negotiations.
KCM spokesperson Raul Kharkar said in a statement yesterday it had been ascertained that only workers doing morning shift were involved in the riotous behaviour.
He said the affected areas were the Tailing Leach Plant operations, Nchanga Underground Mine and Concentrator, where work came to a complete standstill.
However, the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) and the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) have appealed to KCM workers to resume normal duties today as the union continues with the negotiations.
And 10 people were yesterday arrested when irate KCM employees destroyed property worth millions of Kwacha and blocked roads.
The employees went on an orgy of destruction prompted by failure by their two unions to furnish them with information on the status of salary negotiations with management.
Two trucks, a Volvo registration number ABJ 3397 and a Hino registration number ACG 3370, belonging to Yangts Jiang of Lusaka, the contractor hired by KCM to construct new flats at Nchanga South were burnt.
The contractor's storeroom was also burnt and property worth millions of kwacha was lost in the inferno while the household items were looted.
Copperbelt police chief Antoneil Mutentwa has warned the protesting KCM workers that they would face the law if they continued with their negative action of breaking the law.
MUZ president Rayford Mbulu and his NUMAW counterpart Mundia Sikufele said the miners had made their point clear and that they should let the unions negotiate for them.
Management has indicated that it would not negotiate with the unions under the circumstances until workers return to work.
"We have an obligation to represent our members effectively and we only ask that they return for work because staying away is not in anyone's interest," Mr Mbulu said.
The miners, who started their protest on Tuesday became unruly yesterday when they blocked roads and looted mealie meal from the union shops, in the process disrupted grade 12 final examinations which were in progress at Nchanga Trust School.
The pupils sitting for their Religious Education (RE) final paper were allegedly stoned and the examination session was delayed for 40 minutes. Some pupils were injured but managed to write the examination.
Earlier, riot police dispersed the miners from the plant but the rioters later regrouped and were joined by non-miners who took advantage of the situation in looting and destroying property.
Mr Mutentwa said quick action by police thwarted attempts by the miners to destroy the newly built multi-billion Kwacha Nchanga Smelter.
Mr Mutentwa said rioting was not the best way to resolve industrial unrest and advised the miners to wait for the unions and management to finalise negotiations.
He said police were mandated to maintain peace and order and they would not allow people to disrupt development operations in the name of industrial unrest.
Chingola District Commissioner Toby Maliti said Government was saddened by the industrial unrest and suggested that the miners give their two unions time to conclude the negotiations.
Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima said in a statement yesterday that it was sad that apart from downing tools, the miners had also resorted to acts of violence, looting and destroying property.
Mr Mbulakulima said workers, their unions and employers were social partners in development and there was need to show highest responsibility and tolerance in dealing with national issues.
Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Villie Lombanya has also expressed disappointment at the riotous behaviour of KCM employees.
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