Kagem Mining Agrees to 10% Pay Rise for Unionised Workers Under New Collective Agreement

Kagem Mining Secures 2026/27 Collective Agreement with 10% Salary Increases and 13th Cheque

Emerald producer Kagem Mining, which is 75 percent owned by Gemfields and 25 percent by the Zambian government’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), has successfully concluded negotiations for its 2026/27 collective agreement covering unionised employees.

Under the agreement, employees will receive a 10 percent salary increase in 2026 and a further 10 percent increase in 2027, applied uniformly across the workforce.

Negotiations between Kagem management and the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ), together with the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW), also resulted in the introduction of a thirteenth salary cheque.

This payment, equivalent to 100 percent of an employee’s monthly basic salary, will be paid in December and will replace the traditional Christmas bonus. The agreement further includes several additional upward adjustments to employee benefits.

Commenting on the outcome, Kagem General Manager Adriaan Prinsloo said on January 19 that the agreement reflects continued constructive engagement between management and employees.

He noted that the salary increments would have positive spillover effects for workers’ families, surrounding communities, and the broader economy, as the mine continues to produce world-class emeralds that support national development.

NUMAW President Saul Simujika praised Kagem management for maintaining an open-door policy and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, and encouraged the company to continue this approach.

The collective agreement has been approved by the Labour Commissioner in Lusaka and marks the fourth consecutive year that Kagem has honoured such a commitment to its workforce.

Kagem Mining employs more than 1,200 permanent and pensionable workers, 92 percent of whom are Zambian nationals.