Admins Note: Being on the side of KCM miners We are not in politics for selfish gain. We are in politics because we really want to liberate Zambia economically. Why do we say this? The reason is simple, from the time KCM announced that almost 2,000 jobs are on the line, we have heard statements flying from all corners including people who have no idea what it takes to run a mine. But that is not our problem, because people have the right to speak, even none sense. This is what we proposing on this problem and many others that are similar. A person who is about to lose a job has one thing in mind; and that is to ensure that he has a job next day, to provide for him and his family. Firstly, Government has been issuing threats. The thing about issuing threats is that, some people will take you up on your threat. From telling KCM not to do it, to the very recent one that Government will take over the running of KCM. For us we are calling for dialogue. Let Government dialogue with the mine management. We foresaw this coming when the fuel subsidy was removed. Costs of production would go up, and the first casualty is people whose jobs can be done by a machine. Mine Workers Union, please take what they call a chill pill. This is not the time to start talking about who is employing who? This is the time to really protect your members instead of issuing outrageous statements like the one which was issued in the Post of Wednesday May 29th, 2013 that Government will take over the mine. So KCM surrenders the mine to Government, for Government to do what? Use the savings from fuel subsidies to recapitalise KCM and to complete KDMP? MUZ should relax and be level headed. This is not the time to be cocky and want to show muscle which might be superficial muscle. To the PF, we heard one of the chairpersons issue threats to KCM. If we were KCM, we would not even listen to that man. What he said has no substance, and this is not a party matter. Like he rightly put it, the miners voted for PF. For PF that is their interest, to get votes again from the miners by pretending to be on their side. Some sections of society have even gone ahead to say how come some mines are not complaining? Well we shall tell you something for nothing. Operating an open pit mine does not cost the same as operating Mufulira underground, so each mine will have a different cost structure. Its that simple. Some of the comments are bordering on xenophobia. These mines were not sold like the way one sells talktime, these were contracts that have obligations from Government, ZCCM-IH and KCM. We can tell you that KCM is employing expatriates as specified in the mining contracts. For KCM, we are calling on them to re-examine their cost structure again and see how terminating employment for these miners should be the last resort and not the first option. Ultimately we would like not 2,000 but not ONE miner to lose their job. The above is what we think defines who is on the side of the mine.
Posted on: Fri, 31 May 2013 08:09:01 +0000
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