FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURE
JUNE 17, 2022
FQM TRIDENT UNIONISED WORKERS IN 11% SALARY HIKE
KALUMBILA, ZAMBIA – FQM Trident Limited, a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals, has signed a collective bargaining agreement with four unions: the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW), Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ), United Mine Workers Union of Zambia (UMUZ) and Miners and Allied Workers Union (MAWU).
As part of the agreement, basic salaries for all eligible employees will be increased by 11% across the board effective May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.
The company will also pay salary arrears relating to the agreed salary increment plus housing allowance effective from January 1, 2022.
The parties agreed on an interim agreement for eight months for which the salary increment shall be effective 1st May 1, 2022, to 31st December 31, 2022, with a full agreement being negotiated to replace this interim one by or before its expiry.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, FQM Trident Ltd General Manager Sean Egner said he was pleased to sign the agreement with the employees represented by the unions as it confirmed the strong relationship between management and the employees and demonstrated the ability to table issues and reach a resolution together.
“The concerns of the employees and management have been vigorously debated over the past few months and I believe we have reached a solid agreement that will help our employees to keep pace with the changes in market conditions and inflationary pressures in general,” he said.
Mr Egner added that the agreement was intended to give certainty to both the employees and the employer in these uncertain times following the inflationary pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest between Ukraine and Russia, which has added more complexity to economies.
Mr Egner intimated that despite the support offered to Zambian industries by the new government, there is a need to capitalise on this conducive climate as the mine starts up the Enterprise nickle mine while continuing with increased production at the Sentinel copper mine.
“We should not be complacent that commodities will rally indefinitely; we should continue to look for efficiencies in everything we do and deliver our budget commitments,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, General Treasurer for the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) Saul Simujika said the signing ceremony was an indication of successful discussion between the unions and FQM Trident management. He added that the mine must share information with union leaders such as the cost of production and safety in order for them to forecast workable negotiations.
“As unions, we need that information so that we don’t demand more than we are able to get or ask for less than we are able to get,” said Mr Simujika.
FQM Trident Limited Human Resource Manager Brighton Mwiinga thanked the participating unions for their contributions during the deliberations of the collective bargaining agreement and reiterated FQM Trident’s commitment to attract and retain key human resource for its business operations.
“We aim to keep our staff motivated during their entire stay with us. It is for this reason that we benchmark what is being offered on the market to remain competitive. It is in the best interest of the company and its employees that FQM Trident Limited be operated at maximum efficiency, and it is the responsibility of management, the unions and employees to co-operate in taking measures for achieving optimum productivity and for controlling production costs, to ensure the economic viability of our operations,” he said.
He thanked the staff for their patience during the negotiating process and for trusting their union leaders and management to decide a favorable package on their behalf.
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About First Quantum Minerals Ltd
First Quantum Minerals Ltd is a global metals and mining company producing mainly copper, gold and zinc. The company’s assets are in Zambia, Spain, Mauritania, Australia, Finland, Turkey, Panama, Argentina and Peru.
In 2021, First Quantum globally produced 816,435 tonnes of copper, 312,492 ounces of gold and 16,818 tonnes of nickel.
In Zambia it operates the Kansanshi mine and smelter in Solwezi and the Sentinel mine in Kalumbila.
The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
http://www.first-quantum.com/
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