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Dangote Workers Protest
OPERATIONS at Dangote Cement Company in Masaiti yesterday came to a standstill as more than 200 contracted workers at the firm protested over management’s decision to recruit new employees while sidelining old ones.
But Dangote management has refuted the allegations saying all workers at the company were recruited in line with the provisions of Zambian labour laws.
Meanwhile, Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda has directed the labour commissioner to investigate the happenings at the US$400 million cement manufacturing firm.
The 200 workers contracted from three engineering firms staged apeaceful demonstration from yesterday morning claiming that Dangote management had laid them off unconditionally after their participation during the construction phase of the plant from 2011.
The workers were engaged by Sinoma International Engineering, Rockseed Engineering and Ayoki Fabricon Limited, during the four-year construction phase.
Speaking on behalf of the over workers, Amis Banda said during construction, nearly 2,000 people were recruited.
“But now that the plant is ready for production, management has gone ahead to sideline more than 1,500 people retaining 200.
“We are skilled people and considering the magnitude of this plant, management should have at least reinstated a significant number to be deployed in various sections,” he said.
Mr Banda said having served the company for a longtime, management should have considered retaining some of the contracted workers on permanent basis.
He accused the company’s human resource office and the labour office of doing nothing to address their plight.
“We are also denied privileges like adequate allowances for transport and lunch while being forced to buy our protective clothing from the company, using part of the K900 monthly salary,” he said.
Dangote operations manager Anand Kameshwar said in a separate interview that management was committed to addressing the plight of every employee.
“We met the workers’ representatives, Senior Chief Chiwala and the District Commissioner of Masaiti to table all those concerns and as I speak to you, all pending issues have been attended to and the workers have resumed work,” he said.
Mr Kameshwar said Dangote was committed to ensuring that every Zambian benefitted from its investment in Zambia.
He said the plant was expected to commence full operations this month end and qualified Zambians would be recruited to fill strategic positions in the organisation.
Mr Shamenda on the other hand said he was going to ensure that the labour commissioner investigated the matter as Government was interested in industrial harmony.
Dangote has an installed capacity to produce 1.5 million tonnes of cement per annum.
Posted by Editor
on March 4, 2015. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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new educated Zambia
March 4, 2015 at 8:37 am
Two sides to the story. I will comment in full after I have had my full breakfast. I am in bed watching my woman dress up. Good morning zambia
Kabulubulu
March 4, 2015 at 5:14 pm
Has she finished sewing her second hand thong?
New Educated Zambia
March 4, 2015 at 5:20 pm
Interesting you should mention second hand underwear. I know you said it as a joke. However, there are many people still buying second hand underwear in the form of salawula becayse upto now the PF has failed to completely regulate and abolish sales of such unhygienic activities. It is the same case with tujilijili they have just gone onto the black market. In the UPND we promise to effect laws that will deter people from undertaking illegal activities. We will engage with these people rather than totally ban their livelihood.
poly
March 4, 2015 at 8:50 am
Do not undress her soon as she may be late for ma order ya vimbombo
new educated Zambia
March 4, 2015 at 9:00 am
Vimbobo now u make me miss home mwaiche. Good morning. I will give a constructive comment once i have breakfast.
Jetsetter
March 4, 2015 at 9:22 am
eat shít and die mothafaka!
new educated Zambia
March 4, 2015 at 9:27 am
Ba pf it’s too early for insults. Good morning mune. Take it easy that anger is not healthy kuti wafenta na heart attack
DMANMEN
March 4, 2015 at 9:24 am
Dangote saga will never varnish, the Man himself Aleko Dangote is a mean person, he would rather employ unqualified Indians than qualified Zambians. This place is a hell to work in, its as bad as sponsoring the Boko Haram. There are Zambian idiots in the HR Dept who support stupid things. People have been denied a union for over 3 years now and are now been dismissed to organize to belong to a union. The immigration dept in Ndola is also playing a key role in decampaigning PF in Masaiti by allowing Good for nothing Indians to flood Dangote operations at the expense of Zambians. Some Investment is as good as nothing Dangote is known for impoverishing his workers all over Africa, he steals Gratuity from Zambian People. Shame is for the Boko Haram
New Educated Zambia
March 4, 2015 at 12:09 pm
I do not feel that shamenda is the right person to deal with dangote owing to the fact that in the past there have been some uncertainities as to his transparency with dangote. In a normal society shamenda would have recused himself and let other people manage and investigate dangote. Again the PF government has imply failed to ensure zambians are getting a fair deal. If at all these worker’s claims are true. In the UPND we will ensure that investors are obliged to improve the skills of workers so as to make them more valuable and marktetable. In this way we will ensure that investment also invests in our manpower. Vote UPND
MCCM
March 4, 2015 at 1:00 pm
NO COMMENT,GOOD MORNING NEZ,HAVE FINISHED WASHING YO WIFE’S CLOTHES?
New Educated Zambia
March 4, 2015 at 1:04 pm
kiki mune when I have a free day of course I will wash my woman’s clothes. After all it is only throwing those things in the washing machines and pressing a few buttons. She is my woman, why should she only wash my clothes and it be a taboo for me a man to wash hers? That is why in the UPND we are saying we will ensure that gender equality is instilled in people’s minds. Women and men should have the same rights and given the same opportunities. This thinking from MCCM we see is typical of the PF who think employing a few women to high positions in government is tackling gender inequality
MCCM
March 4, 2015 at 1:01 pm
HAVE U
chika Edk Ike PhD
March 4, 2015 at 10:36 pm
How I wish HH wud know how this NEZ guy is campaigning for him even before 2016 let’s hope your campaigns will produce results because if not mwanna u are going a get A very rude shock of your life keep on doing it because of what I know zambians will never vote for HH because of his unexperienced leadership skills
Jeff
March 5, 2015 at 11:40 am
NEZ’s the man.