KCM terminates MMS contract

KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has terminated the contract for Mechanized Mining Solution (MMS) whose workforce is well above 500.

Both KCM chief executive officer Jenakaraj Jeyakumar and the Mine Contractors and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (MCAWUZ) representative Joseph Kasonka confirmed the development to the Copperbelt Minister Davies Mwila yesterday.

Mr Kasonka said the termination had affected the operation of the company and the workers.

He said MMS was not the only contractor affected by none payment of funds by KCM.

He said another problem was that most of the contracts in KCM were being awarded to KCM managers hence making it difficult for people who were not KCM managers to win tenders with the mines.

And Mr Jeyakumar said MMS was paid all its dues up to March this year.

He said the problem with MMS management was that the company could be paid by KCM but was failing to pay salaries of its workers thereafter accused KCM of not paying it.

Mr Jeyakumar said to reduce the problem KCM had paid MMS employees directly from the KCM payroll to ensure that MMS management did not misuse the money.

He assured the Minister that no one of the MMS workers at the Konkola mine would lose jobs because KCM would take on board the entire workforce.

MMS Director Yolomino Banda also confirmed the development.

Mr Banda said KCM had terminated its Chililabombwe contract but the Nchanga contract was still running.

He said according to the agreement KCM would take over the entire workforce because the same workforce was taken over from KCM.

The Minister said his Government had made a commitment to the people of create more jobs and putting more money in their pockets.

Mr Mwila said his Government was that despite the collapse of agreement between KCM and MMS the employees were welfare was fully taken care of.