Zinc miners poised to strike in Namibia

BY RODRICK MUKUMBIRA

WINDHOEK, Namibia

Workers at Namibia's largest zinc mine were poised to go on strike at midnight Friday because of grievances over pay and alleged discrimination.

The Mineworkers Union of Namibia is holding out for a 14 percent pay increase -- well above inflation of 8.4 percent -- and housing, transport and overtime allowances.

The union maintains that the Skorpion Zinc mine, owned by Anglo Base Metal, is benefiting from high world market prices and can afford to pass some of this on to its workers.

Skorpion Zinc spokesman Usi Hoebeb confirmed to state media that the company had been given a 24-hour notice for the strike.

"The company has tried its level best to amicably resolve the wage dispute, but the union is the problem," he was quoted as saying on state radio.

The modern open pit mine, which accounts for 25 percent of the southwest African country's power consumption, employs about 1,200 workers, and the mine produces 150,000 tons of special high grade zinc destined for the Asian, European and North American markets.

The union says that workers earn just 3,200 Namibian dollars ($421) per month. Namibian managerial staff earn around 19,000 Namibian dollars ($2,500), the union says, but their white expatriate counterparts can command as much as 31,000 Namibian dollars ($4,000) per month.

"There are two salary scales here; one for black workers and another for whites," said Michaeleno Kadhikwa, Skorpion Zinc's union chairman. "The strike is inevitable. Workers are tired of poor salaries, discrimination and injuries at work. They will go on strike until management agrees to their demands."

The workers have been involved in negotiations with the mine's management over wages and salary increments since April 21. The union initially requested a 15 percent increase, while the mine's management offered between 11 and 12 percent.

Accusing the mine's management of negotiating in bad taste, Kadhikwa said management later reduced its offer to a 10 percent across-the-board increment. He said the last pay increase, of 7 percent, was in October 2005.

Benchmark zinc, which hit an all-time high of US$4,580 a ton in November 2006 on the London Metal Exchange, is currently trading at around US$2,240.