Breakthrough Expected At Skorpion Zinc’s Salary Dispute

A breakthrough to end a crippling strike at Namibia’s largest zinc mine, Skorpion Zinc, was expected late Thursday after a major climbdown by the workers union following tense negotiations and a debilitating strike which lasted nearly a week.

Management and workers’ representatives, who have been locked in tense negotiations, confirmed Thursday afternoon that they might be headed for an agreement.

“We are still looking forward to an agreement and the matter is still sensitive, but we are progressing well,” said Skorpion Zinc Mine general manager Gerald Boting.

But despite the positive tone the strike, which was still on by Thursday afternoon, continued to bleed the mine, officials said.

Some 650 workers at the mine embarked on a paralyzing strike, demanding a 15 percent salary hike against management’s 12 percent offer last Friday, and the dispute ground business at the export oriented mine to a halt.

In the clearest hint yet that the unions had caved in to management, the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) secretary general Joseph Hengari said that they might agree on 12.5 percent.

“We may settle for 12.5 percent. If they (management) agree, then we will present it to our members,” Hengari said, sounding dovish. “It looks like we may reach and agreement but its not yet confirmed. We are still on the negotiating table.”

Management has however remained silent on the production loss at the mine because of the six-day strike. The state of the art mine, operated by Anglo’s Base Metals division, produces 150,000 tonnes of special high grade zinc annually.

Skorpion, situated in the southern part of the country, produces 12,500 tonnes of zinc per month.

The mine, which consumes 25 percent of Namibia’s total power, produces special high grade zinc largely for Asian, European and North American markets.

Source African Press Agency

Net News Publisher