KCM denies laying off miners

KCM said the reported 76 workers were fixed-term contracts and were relieved of their duties for them to be engaged by a new contractor.
In a statement yesterday, KCM management said the reported 76 were temporal workers who were part of the 284 employees belonging to a contractor MMS whom KCM had taken over last year temporarily to safeguard jobs.
KCM said at the expiry of the contract with MMS, which was engaged to work at Number Three Shaft at Konkola Mine in Chililabombwe, the mining giant took the 284 workers temporarily to safeguard the jobs, with the aim to later hand them over to another contractor once identified.
“In August 2013, KCM engaged a new contractor called JCHX, which informed KCM that it only required 76 employees and upon that advice, KCM released the 76 fixed-term contract employees  so that they could be interviewed and hired by the new contractor after passing
interviews,” reads the statement.
KCM management said as a result of this selection of the 76 employees, their contract of employment with KCM came to an end on October 19, 2013, after they had been served with employment termination letters giving them one month notice on September 19, 2013.
“KCM has retained the 208 ex-MMS fixed-term contract employees and has continued to pay them salaries as additional contractors are being sought,” they said.
KCM management also refuted reports that company chief executive officer (CEO) Kishore Kumar fled the country.
The company said Mr Kumar, who is CEO for Base Metals Africa, a unit of the London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc, left the country last Friday on a South African Airways scheduled business trip to South Africa.
“We advise our continued commitment to adherence to the provision of the law of the land. In addition, KCM is committed to supporting the Government in its effort to develop the country and will continue to engage Government on this matter,” the management statement said.