• Mine workers’ salaries need to improve.
• Some mining firms are still reluctant to better the wages.
• Copper prices which determine salary increments are currently good.

Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia (MUZ) has called on mining firms in the country to consider improving salaries for their workers.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Union President Joseph Chewe said having chaired the salary negotiations at Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi, he has observed the need for mining companies to improve wages for their workers because most of them are underpaid.
Mr. Chewe stated that there a number of companies that are still reluctant to give better salaries despite several interventions the union has made.
“I chaired negotiations at Kansanshi, so as a Chairman and knowing the salaries that I have seen in the mining industry, we need to improve on those salaries. There are other companies that are still reluctant to give better salaries and the union is struggling to get salaries about 16 percent,” Mr. Chewe said.
He noted that copper prices which determine salary increments are currently good, while the environment where the commodity is mined is also very conducive with adequate labour force, therefore the firms have no reason not to improve their workers’ monthly pay.
“The copper prices have gone up, and we know copper prices drive salary increment, so they have no reason not to give better salaries because the prices are good and they have labour, and also the environment where we have to mine our copper is very conducive even under Covid-19 conditions.”
“So mine owners must not hide in the Covid, they must not hide in the workforce, they must not hide in the environment, which is the government’s position in terms of taxation,” he stated.
Mr. Chewe’s comment comes in following the decision by Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi to award salary increment to its workers of 15 percent for this year and 11 percent for 2022.
General Manager, Anthony Mukutuma recently said management was pleased that a collective bargaining agreement was now in place.
Mr Mukutuma however said the minimum basic salary for the lowest paid employees had adjusted to K4, 460 per month, adding that the educational allowance had been increased to K2, 800 every term for 2021 and to K3, 108 every term for 2022.