Govt to look at 20,000 hanging jobs at MCM

Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda says he will engage the Ministries of Finance and Mines over the hanging 20,000 jobs at Mopani Copper Mines.

Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) Plc Chief Executive Officer Danny Callow earlier this week hinted that 20, 000 miners risk losing their jobs because of Government’s continued withholding of the company’s US$200 million in Value Added Tax(VAT) refunds.

But Mr. Shamenda has told Qfm News in a telephone interview that 20,000 employees is a big number to be sent on the streets and thus the need for him and other relevant ministries to intervene.

Mr. Shamenda says the intention to lay off such a number of miners has not yet been brought to his attention as Minister and that he will attend to it with the emergency it deserves.

Mr. Shamenda states that he will be liaising with Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma and Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda over the way forward in order to safeguard jobs at the mine.