. Yaluma

By CHUSA SICHONE –
SINO Hydro management in Siavonga has awarded its 559 employees bonuses reaching up to K2,800 ending work stoppages at the company.
Siavonga District Commissioner Brave Mweetwa who confirmed the development in an interview during the week said the resolution had since brought to end boycotts and demonstrations by the workers.
Mr Mweetwa said it was agreed during the final meeting involving officials from Sino Hydro, ZESCO and Ministry of Labour held on April 8, 2014 that 479  permanent employees be awarded K2,800 each while K1,500 each to 80 casual workers as bonuses.
Mr Mweetwa also said that Sino Hydro management decided to give bonuses to 559 workers including the deceased instead of 50 employees after realising that its human resource department had mismanaged the issue.
“We have progressed well and as we are speaking today, Sino Hydro management sitting with the employer, being ZESCO on behalf of Government and also with the Ministry of Labour, the matter has finally been concluded,” he said.
“We are happy as Government to announce that the situation is now under control. The workers of Sino Hydro are peaceful and we thank the office of the permanent secretary in the ministry of  Labour and his counterpart in Southern province who quickly intervened,” Mr Mweetwa said.
Mr Mweetwa said Sino Hydro management was given an ultimatum of up to April 15, 2014 in which to fulfill its pledge and was happy to note that the company had complied.
On March 25, 2014, the protesting workers took advantage of Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma’s presence in the district to air their grievances over the failure by Sino Hydro management to award them their bonuses upon completing works on the turbines.
Upon receiving submissions from the workers and Sino Hydro human resource manager Duo Chengqun, Mr Yaluma directed the company to fulfill its promise as well as to discuss with the workers’ representatives on how much should be given as bonuses.
But Mr Duo told the minister that it was agreed by management during a meeting in November, last year that the company would only give bonuses and certificates to 50 of its best workers once they finished working on two generators.
Sino Hydro has been contracted by Government through ZESCO to conduct a power generation extension project at Kariba North Bank Power Station in Siavonga District.