FQM confirms strike at its Kansanshi Mine- Zambia
First Quantum Mining and Operations Limited has revealed that its employees at Kansanshi Mine embarked on a strike.
The company said this through a press statement.
“Last Evening( Thursday) a small number of First Quantum Mining and Operations Limited (FQMO) Mining Division employees took illegal strike action at the Kansanshi Mine.
Shift employees from the FQMO Mining Division downed tools at the start of the night shift on Thursday 9 September 2021. Subsequently, at the start of their shift, the day shift crew of Friday 10 September also downed tools. However, the majority of these day shift workers returned to work during the shift,” the company said.
According to the company, there has been no impact on wider Kansanshi Mining Plc employees or operations.
It is reported that the work stoppage was related to a newly planned and voluntary pension scheme for employees. This pension scheme was the result of a mutual agreement between FQMO Mining Division management and all the unions representing the employees’ interests during the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations of December 2020.
“FQMO Mining Division is a going concern. As such, no severance package or terminal pay-out arrangement has been triggered. Employees will be given the opportunity to make a decision on the voluntary pension scheme, in accordance with the approved CBA agreement, once the details of the scheme itself are finalised.
“The work stoppage by FQMO Mining Division employees under the Zambian labour laws was not legal; nor did it conform with the current CBA between the company, the unions and employees. Consequently, Management has advised employees to return to work immediately,” concluded the statement.
