MCM and LCM pay disputes settled as Govt bullies unions

Two major industrial disputes on the Copperbelt have been settled in the past few days with disappointing outcomes for workers. Reuters report that Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) representatives at Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) have accepted pay offers of 20% and 22% respectively. Mopani management also agreed to cover workers' contributions to a new 30 percent tax on housing allowances.

LCM had initially offered a 16 percent pay rise, MCM 18%. In both cases, the union had been demanding a 40 percent increase and, as reported here, mineworkers downed tools in unofficial strikes to support the demands. Such industrial action is necessarilly unofficial since Zambia's repressive labour laws make 'official' strikes almost impossible. MUZ General Secretary Oswell Munyenyembe told Reuters that the unions agreed to a 20 percent salary rise due to intimidation from the government. Munyenyembe told Reuters, "We have agreed to a 20 percent salary rise because of circumstances beyond us such as the threats by the government to deregister any unions that would cause strikes at the (copper) mines which were issued by the labour minister... we took the threats seriously." He noted that although the miners would be unhappy with the outcome, the unions do not expect any more strikes and will wait wait for negotiations in 2008 to push their claims again.