Strike at Rosh Pinah mine enters third day

A WAGE strike at Kumba’s Rosh Pinah zinc and lead mine in the South has entered a third day following deadlocked wage negotiations.

Workers demanding a wage increase of between 12 and 14 per cent downed tools on Sunday after 333 of the 363 union members at the mine voted in favour of the strike. Union members represent 79 per cent of the workforce at the mine.Workers also demanded relocation allowances for retired workers and a housing subsidy, the branch chairman of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) at Rosh Pinah, Petrus Amakali, said yesterday.Amakali said a 75 per cent production increase, a zinc price increase from U$760 to U$3 999 a ton and a lead price increase from U$600 to U$1 600 a ton justified the workers’ demands.He vowed that the strike would continue until the mine management re-considered its position.Kumba’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations, Trevor Arran, yesterday told The Namibian that the company is offering a nine per cent increase for workers in the lower grades and an eight per cent increase for the other grades.According to Arran, the company believed “its offer is fair and reasonable and is continuing [negotiations] with the union to reach a mutually acceptable agreement”.He said the company’s objective was to expand the lifespan of the mine to ensure future employment for the workers.The Rosh Pinah mine produces some 70 000 tonnes of zinc concentrate and about 28 000 tonnes of lead annually.The zinc concentrate is sent to Zincor’s electrolytic refinery in Springs, South Africa, for processing.Arran said the strike had had no immediate impact on the refinery, since zinc is also sourced from other mines in South Africa.He said it was too early to determine the extent of possible losses as a result of the strike.”We still have reserve and in-transit stock that makes it difficult to start with the loss assessment,” he said.Union members represent 79 per cent of the workforce at the mine.Workers also demanded relocation allowances for retired workers and a housing subsidy, the branch chairman of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) at Rosh Pinah, Petrus Amakali, said yesterday.Amakali said a 75 per cent production increase, a zinc price increase from U$760 to U$3 999 a ton and a lead price increase from U$600 to U$1 600 a ton justified the workers’ demands. He vowed that the strike would continue until the mine management re-considered its position.Kumba’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations, Trevor Arran, yesterday told The Namibian that the company is offering a nine per cent increase for workers in the lower grades and an eight per cent increase for the other grades.According to Arran, the company believed “its offer is fair and reasonable and is continuing [negotiations] with the union to reach a mutually acceptable agreement”.He said the company’s objective was to expand the lifespan of the mine to ensure future employment for the workers.The Rosh Pinah mine produces some 70 000 tonnes of zinc concentrate and about 28 000 tonnes of lead annually.The zinc concentrate is sent to Zincor’s electrolytic refinery in Springs, South Africa, for processing.Arran said the strike had had no immediate impact on the refinery, since zinc is also sourced from other mines in South Africa.He said it was too early to determine the extent of possible losses as a result of the strike.”We still have reserve and in-transit stock that makes it difficult to start with the loss assessment,” he said.