At least 2000 striking workers at Non-Ferrous Corporation Africa Mining (NFCA) and JCHX Mine Construction Zambia Limited were summarily dismissed on 19 October for going on strike and refusing to resume work.
Workers at NFCA and JCHX Construction Zambia Limited, a constructing company for NFCA, have been protesting for two weeks asking for an across the board pay rise and improvements in their conditions of service.
The dismissal notices gave the workers the right to appeal within 48 hours. The government stepped in the following day however and ordered the company to immediately reinstate them. Mines minister Wylbur Simuusa arranged to meet Non-Ferrous China Africa (NFCA) management and employees to iron out the differences.
After the incident, the unrepentant NFCA chief executive officer reportedly said that the reinstated workers would be screened and the “troublemakers” disciplined.
