Sicomines workers seek DRC President Tshisekedi’s help to unfreeze its bank accounts

In a memorandum addressed to the Congolese head of state on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, the representatives of Sicomines S.A workers, through its permanent trade union office, called on President Félix Tshisekedi to use his constitutional prerogatives and do everything possible to unlock Sicomines’ bank accounts, currently seized by the tax administration. This lifting of the account seizures, according to the Sicomines permanent trade union office, will allow the mining joint venture to meet its operational and social obligations, enabling them to receive regular remuneration and lead a decent and peaceful life.

In this correspondence, the representatives of Sicomines workers have reminded that SICOMINES SA is a Congolese company with nearly 40,000 people dependent on it.

“Sicomines SA, our employer, is a Congolese company operating in the Lualaba province, city of Kolwezi. Today it employs nearly 3,000 workers directly linked by an indefinite employment contract and 4,000 subcontracted agents. Each worker has at least five dependents, which makes approximately 35,000 people directly or indirectly dependent on Sicomines SA,” the memorandum addressed to the head of state reads.

These Sicomines agents acknowledge that the Sicomines project has tangibly improved their social lives. Due to the company’s credibility and stable employment, these agents have taken out all forms of consumer credit from banks to realize their individual projects. However, since September 2022, the company has undergone frequent audits, leading to the blocking of its bank accounts.

“There have been frequent audits since September 2022 that the company has undergone, which sometimes makes it difficult for us to meet our commitments. As if that were not enough, we learned today that the bank accounts of our company are blocked. This puts us in distress and pushes us to your Authority, Mr. President, in your capacity as guarantor of social cohesion,” they wrote, adding:

“Yes, the consequences of the blocking of our company’s bank accounts are visible. This mainly concerns the potential strike due to delayed salary payments before March 26th and the risk of technical unemployment, with the consequences of each worker’s inability to meet the basic needs of their family.”

The permanent trade union office of Sicomines believes that the head of state, Félix Tshisekedi, can use his constitutional prerogatives to restore hope to these Sicomines workers.

“Mr. President of the Republic, in view of all the above and considering the social consequences that await us, we representatives of Sicomines SA workers come to you in your benevolence to seek refuge and ask you to kindly use your constitutional prerogatives and do everything possible to unlock the bank accounts of our company currently seized by the tax administration, in order to enable our company to meet its operational and social obligations. This will allow us to receive regular remuneration and lead a decent and peaceful life,” they requested of the head of state.

The permanent trade union office of Sicomines explains to the head of state that its approach is in search of harmony and social peace within Sicomines in particular and within the Lualaba province in general.

In a memorandum addressed to the Congolese head of state on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, the representatives of Sicomines S.A workers, through its permanent trade union office, called on President Félix Tshisekedi to use his constitutional prerogatives and do everything possible to unlock Sicomines’ bank accounts, currently seized by the tax administration. This lifting of the account seizures, according to the Sicomines permanent trade union office, will allow the mining joint venture to meet its operational and social obligations, enabling them to receive regular remuneration and lead a decent and peaceful life.

In this correspondence, the representatives of Sicomines workers have reminded that SICOMINES SA is a Congolese company with nearly 40,000 people dependent on it.

“Sicomines SA, our employer, is a Congolese company operating in the Lualaba province, city of Kolwezi. Today it employs nearly 3,000 workers directly linked by an indefinite employment contract and 4,000 subcontracted agents. Each worker has at least five dependents, which makes approximately 35,000 people directly or indirectly dependent on Sicomines SA,” the memorandum addressed to the head of state reads.

These Sicomines agents acknowledge that the Sicomines project has tangibly improved their social lives. Due to the company’s credibility and stable employment, these agents have taken out all forms of consumer credit from banks to realize their individual projects. However, since September 2022, the company has undergone frequent audits, leading to the blocking of its bank accounts.

“There have been frequent audits since September 2022 that the company has undergone, which sometimes makes it difficult for us to meet our commitments. As if that were not enough, we learned today that the bank accounts of our company are blocked. This puts us in distress and pushes us to your Authority, Mr. President, in your capacity as guarantor of social cohesion,” they wrote, adding:

“Yes, the consequences of the blocking of our company’s bank accounts are visible. This mainly concerns the potential strike due to delayed salary payments before March 26th and the risk of technical unemployment, with the consequences of each worker’s inability to meet the basic needs of their family.”

The permanent trade union office of Sicomines believes that the head of state, Félix Tshisekedi, can use his constitutional prerogatives to restore hope to these Sicomines workers.

“Mr. President of the Republic, in view of all the above and considering the social consequences that await us, we representatives of Sicomines SA workers come to you in your benevolence to seek refuge and ask you to kindly use your constitutional prerogatives and do everything possible to unlock the bank accounts of our company currently seized by the tax administration, in order to enable our company to meet its operational and social obligations. This will allow us to receive regular remuneration and lead a decent and peaceful life,” they requested of the head of state.

The permanent trade union office of Sicomines explains to the head of state that its approach is in search of harmony and social peace within Sicomines in particular and within the Lualaba province in general.