Luanshya Copper Mines has dismissed the chairman for the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) after he was caught with a spare part of a motor vehicle concealed on his body as he was knocking off from work.
Meanwhile Luanshya Copper Mines management has complained to both the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) and the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) concerning the recent increase in theft cases involving union leaders.
Osward Malama the NUMAW chairman was arrested by a combined team of mine police and Panorama security officers as he attempted to leave the plant with a spare part concealed on his body. The mining industry has a zero tolerance towards theft and alcohol abuse. The two offences attract instant dismissal charges across the industry.
Meanwhile Luanshya Copper Mines management has rejected several pleas from NUMAW for the reinstatement of Malama. NUMAW president James Chansa on Monday 3rd September 2018 held an emergency meeting with LCM management to plead for his chairman to be forgiven but the mine refused to give Malama any leniency saying union leaders should not be in the fore front to steal and loot company property. LCM chief executive officer Wang Jiang said forgiving Malama would send a bad example to other employees. Wang informed the NUMAW president that the Mine had actually made a proposal to the Zambia Chamber of Mines for the creation of a clearing center to ensure that all those miners who were dismissed for theft related cases did not get employment in any other mine just as the case is with banks.
Last week the Zambia Police in Luanshya detained MUZ secretary for Luanshya Pathias Mubanga for theft involving heavy equipment worth over K1.2Million from the company’s Central workshop