By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

ABOUT 400 miners employed by a contractor at Lubambe Mine in Chililabombwe are set to lose their jobs this month-end following the expiry of their company’s contract with the mine.
The miners, who are employees of Murray and Roberts, a contractor engaged by Lubambe Mine, have since been served with letters of notice of lay off.
Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) general secretary Joseph Chewe and Chililabombwe District Commissioner (DC) Stuart Chitumbo confirmed this in separate interviews.
Mr Chewe said Murray & Roberts did not have its contract with Lubambe Mine renewed and it is scheduled for expiry at the end of the month.
Mr Chewe said as a result of this, all miners engaged by Murray & Roberts were consequently affected as they had to be laid-off.
“All miners engaged by Murray & Roberts have since been served with notices for lay-off and their last day of working is April 30, 2015,” Mr Chewe said.
He said this was why the union has demanded for an end to contracting of mining labour because when main mines terminate the contracts for contractors, employees are affected.
Mr Chewe called on Lubambe Mine management to ensure that it integrates all the affected miners being laid off by Murray & Roberts.
This is because the expiry of the contractor’s contract is bound to create a vacuum in the mining operations of the mine.
Mr Chitumbo said the expiry of a contract for Murray & Robert was normal because the company had in the first place signed a contract with Lubambe Mine which had to expire at some point.
The DC, however, said he expected that the miners would be taken on board by the next contractor to be engaged by Lubambe Mine.
Efforts to get a comment from Lubambe management failed as the company spokesperson was said to be out of office.