Zambia miners at Chinese firm strike again over pay
By Chris Mfula
LUSAKA, Oct 18 (Reuters) – Zambian miners at Chinese-owned NFC Africa Mining went on strike again on Tuesday after the company refused to raise their wages by nearly 100 percent as agreed last week, the National Union of Mine and Allied Workers said.
“The workers have again gone on strike. They were promised a pay rise of 2 million Zambian kwacha ($400) per month, which they have not been given,” the union president Mundia Sikufele told Reuters.
About 2,000 workers at NFC Africa Mining, majority-owned by China Nonferrous Metals Mining Corporation, first went on a strike earlier this month demanding higher wages.
Sikufele said the workers called off the strike earlier this month after the government asked the management to give them a 2 million kwacha pay rise on Oct. 10.
“But
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the government, which proposed the 2 million kwacha is now saying the right procedure is for the workers to allow the union to negotiate with the management,” Sikufele said.
Long-time opposition leader Michael Sata won election in the southern African country on Sept. 20 on a populist platform that included criticism of foreign investors and promises to improve the lives of workers.
In his first official meeting as president, Sata saw Chinese ambassador Zhou Yuxiao in an effort to dispel fears his sometimes fierce anti-Chinese rhetoric while in opposition would translate into a shift in investment policy.
He also made clear that Chinese companies, which have ploughed more than $2 billion into developing the mining sector, would not get preferential treatment. ($1 = 5005.000 Zambian Kwachas) (writing by Olivia Kumwenda and Chris Mfula; editing by James Jukwey)
58 Responses to Zambia miners at Chinese firm strike again over pay
Go Social
Reporter, balance your story by quoting all players that is Employees, Employers and Government Is Government still studying the matter?
Dora bum bencher - October 18, 2011
19:06
Salaries for MPs shall be taxed like ordinary citizens.
Their salaries shall be a multiplier of Minimum wages. That will ensure minimum wages are revised in line with cost of living index. It can to start with be 20 times (including of all allowances and perks) of the statutory minimum wage.
No civil servant/private sector executive be entitled to salary (inclusive of allowances/perks) more than 20 times the least paid worker of the organisation they work for.
No salary and benefits be paid to MPs, PSs, ministers and even Presient till all backlogs of pension and retirement benefits are paid to the retirees.
Payment of salaries of civil servants shall be in the following orders:
All policemen, defence forces, workers up to the level of section officers be paid first, only after their dues are settled in full in a particular month shall the PSs, MPs and President be paid.
Any comments, friends??????????????
thinking - October 18, 2011
18:32
@sir G rufunsa-2016 you have cracked my libs!hahahahaa
mtombolilo - October 18, 2011
18:05
Why are we already mourning and gnashing the teeth? Donchi Kubeba means dont tell them it is now full time communism. The working masses have to take over the economy. Most of the business will be run by the government; all youth have to work for free for minimum of 24 months in the name of training.Any thriving business belongs to the corrupt, thieving, foreigners who must now share company assets with longsuffering workers…The shushushu willwork like in the Kaunda days;proper leftist rule.
bulu - October 18, 2011
17:41
On dis1 da gov must quickly play a moderatin role. Otha wiz de ‘ll shit blood! real political pundits ‘ll take advange of da situe- . Som of u felaz u r either usin chinese phons o putin on a chinese replica footbal wear, pants etc yet u want chinese 2 go! This is a leson, neva promise wht u dont understand. Soda
Brain - October 18, 2011
16:54
U miners get back to work pliz, otherwise u ar jst dragging zambian economy down, that was jst a compain gimic. DOCHI KUBEBA… ZEEE MANINGI,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
jacksparrow - October 18, 2011
16:50
sir G for Rufunsa
Ha ha. Good one.
follower - October 18, 2011
16:49
Hahahahaha…@fake hh…I know that the truth hurts…and u r really hurting…y not provide counter objective arguements to points agianst MCS’s wrong policies instead of attacking a tribe….!!!!
Mulenga - October 18, 2011
16:47
MMD ran a very healthy economu especialy under Levy and RB. economic growth at 7%, foregn reserves at US2.8billion, infrastracture coming up everywhere, stable exchange rate, inflation below 10%. I can foresee all these gains getting reversed by this group of Kaponyas called PF. which is really a pity for mother Zambia. that’s what you get when you vote for selfish reasons. someone promises very unrealistic things and because you are selfish you believe him. Now i agree that its very easy to cheat a selfish person.
The cobra now is hiding behind fighting corruption just to please one individual, Fred Mmembe!!!! He is not talking about more money,lower taxes anymore. he is now talking about the same things that MMD was doing developing rural areas, skills training. but unlike MMD he doesn’t have the plan for these things he is just waffling.
Mukango - October 18, 2011
16:33
Thank God im not tonga. These people have too much hate. Busy writting nosence about sata. Get a life you fools.
hh - October 18, 2011
16:29
Who really want to isolate the chinese at the expense of the lie from the western media who have fooled African for centuries.Do it and at whose peril?
Common Sense! - October 18, 2011
16:16
An Easterner was so in love with a Bemba girl. After many attempts, the girl kept saying; am still thinking about it. One day he resolved to try one last time and call it quits.
When the girl saw him, she knew what he wanted to say. She simply said: “Ba Tembo, nkumbateni! (hug me)”
When the guy heard he fumed and left to tell his friend that she now wants nkumba ten! (10 pigs)
Sir G for Rufunsa-2016 - October 18, 2011
16:14
Stupid miners still don’t realise that Satan was just cheating them to get their vote. they will never see that k2million kwacha they are looking for! and some of them even borrowed heavily after the announcement of results!!!! saying we will have more money soon. now what i expect to see is increased numbers of suicide cases. foolish miners wake up and realise that you won’t have free money just work hard and improve your lives!
Mukango - October 18, 2011
15:59
@jsk – The miners are on strike right now and you’re saying they should be given time to settle. How come the strikers are not giving them time to settle and are just starting wildcat strikes. Those who promised more money in the pockets without looking at the wider consequences must now put up – time for talking is over. Donci Kubeba!
Ricky Bobby? - October 18, 2011
15:47
K2M ACROSS THE BOARD THAT TRANSLATES INTO (2,000 X 2,000,000=K4BILLION PER MONTH ANNUALLY K48BILLION DIVIDE BY K5,000 EXCHANGE RATE (US$9.6M). THAT IS AFFORDABLE AFC IS JUST DRAGING ITS FEET. THEY MUST OWN UP. THAT IS LESS 10,000 TONES OF COPPER PER ANNUM. I KNOW THERE ARE ALOT OPERATIONAL COSTS BUT THYE SHOUD DO SOMETHING OTHERWISE THIS PROMISE OF MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS WILL BRING ALOT OF INDUSTRIAL UNREST. JUST WAIT AND SEE AFTER PRESENTATION OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET OR BY JANUARY AFTER THE BUDGET ESTIMATES WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
MASTER'S VOICE - October 18, 2011
15:45
lets say these guys are not investing alot on money same copper.
i was at there mine two weeks ago. these guys are just pick up from the old dump. all they do crash and mill there after leach,
nobody in doing any mining.
zccm left behind heaven.
the copper processing is more easy now.
the cost of leach is way less then $500 per day.
our learned friends kubulaya easy. that pay rise is even less off the mark.
best way is to have op in these mines.
beef - October 18, 2011
15:43
Taking the youth for ZNS and appeasing ventures the PF government is proposing will bring down this country to its kneels.Sata is bringing the Kaunda things which did not work.It is a fact that MMD’s economic policies are the best,may be people incharge were not the best.Before independence this country was governed on capitalistic principles and the economy was booming. Kaunda came with his socialism and humanism everything went down the drain.Being a father christmas does not work in this country
ZAMBIAN - October 18, 2011
15:42
Pwahahahaha hw th heck daz 1 vote 4 a slogan tht says docnh kubeba nd expects results, instead ov dealing wit issues whch r ov imptance hz busz renovating state hse. Nd plz p.f die hard funs u put sata in state hse 2 bring a dffrnce dnt support im jst coz u cn support wen hz wrng critise im, tht way he wil b able 2 work arcodn 2 our expectations. Hz eatin 3 meals, whlst sam pipo r hving sleeples nyts nd o u cn say z lets gve im sam tym.
Tweett - October 18, 2011
15:42
Haaaa..donch kubeba after they r fired PF will send them to ZNS 4 Skills training so that they can be self employed…I wonder what skills they will learn from their that are different from most trade skills that Zambia already has…then they have to think of the market to supply what ever they will be producing….most likely skills aquired will be carpentry, tailoring etc!!!
Angel - October 18, 2011
15:38
Sataeconomics at play. Soon the downtrodden willknow that Bana ba ngong’a kuli Pabwato campaigns.
Ya Gemuka..we told you!!! - October 18, 2011
15:38
Get back to work and earn the extra money that you want you lazy assholes! Think there is bottomless pit on money ? Don’t you realise by now that Sata was lying to you to get your vote ?
KACHIGAMBA –
Is that really a good way to treat the biggest buyer of your largest export – chase him out of your country ? Countries bigger than Zambia are struggling to do business with the Chinese and you believe poor little Zambia will be better off without them ?
Gosh you are almost as dumb as your fellow PF buffoon Mikomfwa Mpatamato. But, if that’s what’s you want then God bless you.
What would you prefer – a take-over again by the Government ? I am sure you know what happened the last time the Government tried to run the mining industry.
Think Chammbishi is probably too small for any serious First World mining company to be interested in.
So what does that leave you with – Indians or a black empowerment group of private Zambians.
Indians – you have seen what they are capable of at KCM.
Black Zambian empowerment group – if you think the Chinese treat you badly just wait until one of you fellow Zambians owns a mine ? Not only will you get paid very little, but you will probably get paid late because the management have to put some money aside to buy themselves new cars and to finance their many different girlfriends. There will be no re-investment in capital machinery which will make your already unsafe working conditions even more unsafe.
Because we have blocked yourself from the Chinese, the country will not be able to obtain very concessional loans for infrastructure from the Chinese and will instead have to either access donor money which comes with a lot of conditions or expensive money on First World debt capital markets – which also probably will have some very tough caveats.
By your post, I would like to believe that you think everything that I have mentioned above is worth sacrificing just so that you can have the satisfaction of kicking out the Chinese.
Get out of dreamland and come into the real world fool!!!
Crazyboy - October 18, 2011
15:35
a mine casual worker getting k2million net pay,,being paid more than a teacher!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…laughable directives indeed…sata has to attend to his workers first”civil servants” before they strike and bring his economic dream to a halt…
Animal Farm - October 18, 2011
15:32
The only good thing Sata can do is to accuse others of corruption. Beyond that he is a lost guy. I tell you that economically this country is heading for a disaster
ZAMBIAN - October 18, 2011
15:24
Give the president and his cabinet time to settle and redress the inqualities that are there in labour markets.
jsk - October 18, 2011
15:15
Too many promises to zambian ba sata.plz deliver on yo promises.
Cpt - October 18, 2011
14:42
Haaa you voted donchie kubeba…! Now more money in your pocket..strike and that means low production..low production means no money..leads to no windfall tax…menas no money means donchie kubeba!
mate - October 18, 2011
14:39
It is a worry if the Government is asking mining firms and other foreign investors to pay employees a minimum of K2m without studying the full implications of such a move. In addition, they will have to be aware that not all Zambian are employed by foreign companies and would the Government afford to pay salaries at that scale? If not, then they should be fully aware of the huge backlash that is around the corner as civil servants won’t take it kindly to see miners on K2m while teachers are on….what?
It's a worry - October 18, 2011
14:33
Can Minister of Labour issue a statement,time for rhetoric is gone,you wanted power,you got it,can you calm your over expectant cadres.
Ugly Truth - October 18, 2011
14:31
Thats the meaning of 90 Days, More money in your pockets.We are yet to recieve motre shocks.
Bwalya1 - October 18, 2011
14:26
A tase bafikala.
mwansa - October 18, 2011
14:23
The Mposamabwe mentality still thrives in Zambia as late as 2011. Imagine!!!
If you chase the Chinese, who are you going to bring to mine your copper. On your own, you definately cant because your Mposamabwe technology is not sufficient.
Handle this wage increase with wisdom and not emotions.
Tackle the real Issues - October 18, 2011
14:10
Bomwansa@ is good that u a trying not some folish BEMBA who cant learn even a bet of twalumba for my mbuyees.
sitali. - October 18, 2011
14:00
THIS king Cobra is like one Idi Amini, the self proclaimed conqueror of the British Empire. Only our Michael wants to conquer the Chines Dragon! Wake up Mr. President. The West is broke. It’s the Chinks with the dole. If the Chines so wish, they can give you one hell of a time because they know that four years from now you will still be waiting for their assistance.
Bo - October 18, 2011
13:58
LOzi pipo control me if my lozi is bad litumezi syangweeeeeeeeee.
mwansa - October 18, 2011
13:56
when a thief catch a felo thief he cant runway becoze he now all the screat.SAtana is athief he tries to catch RUBISH BOY[RB].matovwo yamina.lukamubona .
mwansa - October 18, 2011
13:52
we civil servants we are still waiting for october pay”njala yatinyokola”,RB gave us money on 13 th september,,but now whats going on!!! Even us we need a pay rise to 5 million kwacha!!!
Animal Farm - October 18, 2011
13:49
saTAna wekup from SUBA’s house and stat woring man.foolssssssssssssss.
mwansa - October 18, 2011
13:42
@KACHIGAMBA I can tell that you really hate the Chinese. The truth of the matter is that Zambia alone cannot manage to mine the minerals due to lack of capacity. We need the investors whether Chinese or otherwise. Besides, China has become an economic giant in the world today and can never be ignored. If you may wish to know, the Chinese have taken over some of the key companies in the USA and Europe due to these countries’ inability to sustain them. Now, if you compare Zambia with Europe and USA you will agree with me that we can not ignore the Chinese. They are here to increase our capacity to exploit the best out of our economy. All what we need are realistic agreements that benefit both parties. Therefore, we should avoid this hatred based on emotions and instead take a rational stance in dealing with the issues at hand. The reality on the ground is that we need investors, the Chinese included.
Inspector - October 18, 2011
13:41
what do u expecting from sAtAnA who doesnt now CD-1185-RP.I told u that money dont grow on trees.u cant run a country as if u a runing a club.mwaitaya zambian.
mwansa - October 18, 2011
13:34
If it was agreed then they have to be paid. A few sour grapes on here as always from erm SP! Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Mpatamato Mikomfwa - October 18, 2011
13:30
@michael bwalya
imagine sure a gov’t of rumours, we want definitive and final positive decisions! not just half truths and divisive rumours
simeza - October 18, 2011
13:28
Lelo ni lelo. You are asking the mines increase overheads by over $ 400,000.
Bullman - October 18, 2011
13:23
You are in for a rude awakening if ever you bank on what King Cobra said before the elections. The truth of the matter is that he can’t put more money in anybody’s pocket. Noise ! Do you hear me? It was all noise and cheap politicking. Wake up and see reality.
Bo - October 18, 2011
13:20
we want action…not funny bloggers claiming it is a working gov’t when tangible action policies are yet to be seen or realised.
too much talk please, we need positive results, so far we are still in the negatives and have a president dwelling on rumours of corruption and over spending! how does a president spread a rumour of vehicle sure???
he should lead by example and get rid of the $2million amoured mercedez limousine he moves in! how can a president acuse his predecessor without evidence of buying 4 armoured vehicles at $700,000 when he is moving around in one $2million dollar vehicle, a man who was against mwanawasa’s purchase of the same, why isnt he leading by example???
now he is teaching children deceit (don’t kubeba) and rumour mongering
simeza - October 18, 2011
13:19
The reality is now arriving and not the rhetoric that was there during the campaigns.
Kibannza Kyota Mute - October 18, 2011
13:18
ITS TIME YELLOWMEN GAVE UP THE MINIES BACK TO ZAMBIAN GOVT AND GET THE HELL OUT OF ZAMBIA AND GO BACK TO SHANGHAI OR BEIJING WHERE THEY CAME FROM AS WE DONT LIKE THE DOG EATERS TREATING ZAMBIAN WORKERS WORSE THAN DOGS. CHINAMAN OUT PLEASE BA SATA
KACHIGAMBA - October 18, 2011
13:12
CIVIL SERVANTS UR WAITN FOR THEIR PAY OF OCT!
KAYB - October 18, 2011
12:59
If not well handled,labour unrest will definetely distort money market and cause more unemployment.The simple answer for any business is to reduce the workforce and re-align production capacity,afterall metals do not melt in the soils and mining will be there, but for a longer period in this case,shortage at LME may push up prices.We reap what we saw.Bush politics at its best.
Mutala - October 18, 2011
12:53
So much expectation was raised during the campaigns but reality is now sinking in that money does not grow on trees just waiting to be picked. Tell a poor man about giving him a cow he will have sleepless nights. All the no so handsomely paid workers accross the country thought they had realised their dream of prosperity after voting for PF. But PF instead of putting money into the pockets of its supporters are busy giving money into the pockets of MMD who were accused of mismanaging the economy. The worst is still come come the lapse of the 90 days on 23 December 2011.
Mylon - October 18, 2011
12:46
Pliz give da workers wat dey deserve!
MEC - October 18, 2011
12:39