— Kafue Trade King plant workers down tools

Kafue Trade King plant workers down tools

Kafue, August 28,  2014, ZANIS  —-  Operations at Trade Kings plant in Kafue today came to a standstill when workers staged a protest demanding improved conditions of service.

The workers union chairperson, Tukiya Munyemesha says the protest unionized workers follows management’s failure to harmonize and upgrade of the employees.

Meanwhile the district commissioner Grace Ngulube who rushed to the scene called on both employers and employees to observe the Zambian labour laws.

She cautioned Trade King management to ensure that workers are provided with protective clothing and avoid subjecting them to long working hours.

 

The District Commissioner also appealed to the Trade King employees to follow right procedures when presenting their grievances.

She has described the loss of boiling steel pots by the mining company during the demonstrations as a retrogressive.

Ms Ngulube noted that the government is obliged to protect both the investor and local people.

And Trade King Director of operations, Arif Mohammed has assured the District Commissioner that his company will look into the plight of the employees, after the second phase of the company’s operations.

Mr Mohammed explained that his company had awarded a 17 percent salary increase in recently and cannot afford to harmonize the workers’ salaries now as the company is currently running at a loss.

 

He attributed company’s loss to increase in the prices of scrap metals in the country.

The director revealed that his company is currently working towards opening a coal mining in Nampundwe which will help re-sustain the steel mining in Kafue district.