By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –
CHIBULUMA Mine management has awarded employees 10 per cent salary increment across the board.
The increment follows the successful signing of 2015 collective agreement between Chibuluma Mine management and Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) at Lunte Lodge in Kitwe yesterday.
The new collective agreement which also saw substance allowance being enhanced from K760 to K800 across the board and funeral assistance excluding the payment of funeral grant extended in the event of death of biological parents for funerals in Kalulushi, would see the least paid miner go home with a monthly pay of K2,807.
MUZ trustee Malambo Malambo who signed on behalf of the union thanked Chibuluma management for their good social dialogue policy which helped the negotiating team to conclude the collective bargaining process within a record eight hours.
“We should not waste a lot of time in boardrooms negotiating conditions of service because we are here to produce,” he said.
Chibuluma Mine general manager Jackson Sikamo thanked the union for their input in the compilation of their proposals.
“We have seen some need-based proposals moving away from the tradition long lists that we used to receive,” he said.
Mr Sikamo said this was an indication that people involved in collective bargaining were moving with the changes taking place in the negotiating arena as it should be.
The general manager pointed two major challenges being the unfavourable economic environment characterised by high costs of production coupled with the sliding copper prices and also the short life of the mine which Chibuluma, going into 2015, was faced with.