Zambian Deputy Labour Minister Simon Kachimba has criticized foreign companies operating in the country for continuing to exploit their labor force.
Kachimba told journalists in the capital Lusaka that it was unfortunate that local workers employed by foreign investors have continued to be at the mercy of the foreign companies’ maltreatment.
He was commenting on the continued labor dispute that has engulfed the country’s largest copper mines where a labor dispute resulted in the dismissals and arrests of several workers.
More than 40 workers at the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) have been dismissed from employment following a violent protest in which the workers were demanding improved pay.
The workers ended their industrial action after the mines management promised to resume pay negotiations with the worker’s representatives.
However, despite the promise the pay talks have dragged on as the mining company has insisted it cannot offer a pay rise due to financial difficulties.
But the minister said it was unacceptable for the mining company and other investors to use the global economic depression as a reason to refuse to give workers reasonable pay.
He observed that some of the companies were actually flouting labor laws in Zambia by their actions and yet followed the laws in their own countries.
He said the government would be forced to step into the labor dispute at the mining company if no tangible solution is reached soon.
Source African Press Agency
