Call upon the Government and its relevant Ministries to address the mining sector’s poor working conditions, salaries, and benefits.
Harare – 6 July 2023 – The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) and Zimbabwe Diamond & Allied Mineral Workers Union (ZDAMWU) have noted with concern poor working conditions and low wages faced by mine workers in Zimbabwe. The country is endowed with abundant mineral resources that have the potential to alleviate its economic woes. The government has set a target of developing a $12 billion mining industry by 2023, underscoring the significance of mining for the nation’s prosperity.
There has been little focus on the crucial role mine workers play towards the attainment of this vision. For purposes of this statement, we shall focus on the Diamond subsector which according to the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines, 2021 saw a staggering 97.02% increase in production, reaching 5.3 million carats, with an expected year-end total of 5.5 million carats.
The most significant stakeholder in this entire spectrum, mine workers, continue to suffer numerous injustices and gross violations of their rights. The vast array of laws in Zimbabwe that control the mining industry have so far fallen short of addressing the pressing problems mine workers face. The active participation of senior politicians and security elites in mining is also undermining the rights of workers by rendering laws and institutions ineffective.
THE CHALLENGES
Massive Casualisation of Labour-While diamond mining companies are licensed to operate for longer periods ranging from 10–20 years, they are offering short-term contracts to most of their employees with only less than 20% of their workforce on a long-term contract basis. Companies are hiring workers on short-term contracts ranging from one month to three months. This denies the workers job security, pension, medical aid, right to join a trade union and participate in trade union activities. This employment practice intimidates and silences workers from demanding improved working conditions and their rights as enshrined in the country’s Labour Act and Constitution.
Those who participate in workers’ committees or trade union activities are threatened with termination of employment contracts. This practice has been more prevalent in Chinese-owned mines. Some employees are denied special leave days to attend Trade Union activities where they are capacitated to better represent others. This is a violation of Section 65(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which clearly states that ‘every person has the right to form and join trade unions and employee or employer’s organizations of their choice, and to participate in the lawful activities of those unions and organizations
Accommodation and Ablution Facilities-Most workers are living in substandard accommodation with no proper ablution facilities. For the Diamond sector, workers accommodation is in the form of dormitories. Often these dormitories are not gender sensitive – male and female employees are separated by the doors. There have been reports of sexual harassment due to these living conditions at the workplace. The accommodation set-up is not family-friendly for employees to bring their spouses. At Anjin Investments the ablution facilities are an insult to human dignity whilst at Murowa Diamonds both males and females share the same accommodation facilities. In all the mines, workers stay at the mine compound for periods of two weeks to a month without being allowed to visit their families.
Sexual Harassment- Workers have complained of rampant sexual harassment perpetrated on female employees, especially at Anjin Investments and Murowa Diamonds. At Anjin Investments female employees are complaining of sexual harassment by Chinese nationals. The Chinese do not bring their spouses to Zimbabwe and yet they spend periods of up to 3 years in the country without visiting their families in China. According to accounts by employees at Anjin, the Chinese openly offer money to female employees in exchange for sexual favors. Some employees complained of being silenced with money or threats of dismissal if they threaten to report to the Police.
Manpower-The majority of mining companies overlook local communities when recruiting employees. In Marange, companies are highly skeptical of locals whom they accuse of stealing diamonds if employed. Across the country, workers complain that Chinese-owned companies are bringing semi-skilled workers from China to take jobs which locals can do. A growing number of Chinese employees do not have legal requirements such as employment permits. They use corruption to regularize their employment whilst already working. This disadvantages Zimbabwe which has a highly skilled mining labour force and extremely high unemployment levels. At Murowa they are even hiring manpower from Namibia to take up jobs that can be done by our local people. What is disturbing is, local workers have been terminated to create jobs for the Namibians.
Salaries, benefits & Pension-Diamond mine workers earn wages that are below the poverty threshold. Until the recent strike, the lowest-paid Anjin Investment employee was earning USD180.00. Now Anjin has the lowest remuneration among the diamond mining companies, with the lowest-paid employee earning USD355.00 (65% USD and 35% ZWL). This is despite the fact that diamonds are sold hundred per cent in United States Dollars. Among the three diamond mining companies – Anjin, Murowa Diamonds and ZCDC, it is ZCDC which is offering the highest remuneration with the lowest earning around USD400. The National Employment Council (NEC) threshold for mine workers is USD350 per month. Diamond mining companies have resorted to paying NEC minimum salaries, and any attempts to demand a review are being resisted. This is regardless of the high value of diamonds and the role workers contribute to the high profits the companies are earning. Due to the low wages and short-term contracts, employee contributions to Mining Industry Pension Funds are insignificant. The slave wages being paid to diamond mine workers in Zimbabwe creates serious challenges for those concerned with responsible sourcing. Such extreme exploitation of labour is one of the key reasons why stakeholders are pushing the Kimberley Process to review the definition of Conflict Diamonds so as to include diamonds mined under inhuman and unfair labour conditions.
Occupational Safety- Some mining companies have no occupational safety, health, and environmental standards. This jeopardizes the health and safety of employees. In Hwange, several workers have been seriously injured at work due to poor safety standards. At coking companies in Hwange, employees are using surgical masks instead of dust masks to protect themselves from coal dust. In coking companies’ employees are supposed to wear heat-resistant personal protective clothing, particularly those working at the battery. However, most of the workers wear standard work suits and overalls which do not adequately protect them from the heat. At Blanket Mine women are forced to wear overalls instead of work suits.
Community Development in the Mining Areas- The situation in the villages where diamonds are mined is worse than it was before the diamonds were discovered. Infrastructures such as roads, clinics and schools are in an advanced state of dilapidation. Marange scores worse in terms of community development. The government has not reinvested diamond profits into the communities. Instead, the government and the mining companies in Marange are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into public relations and damage control. There is need for a master plan of how to reinvest some of the diamond profits into the community such as the construction of quality roads, upgrading the Marange clinic, supplying clean water to the relocated families and income-generating projects.
Contrary to Section 13 of the Constitution which states that communities must directly benefit from their natural resources, very little benefits, if any, are accruing to mining communities in Zimbabwe. The concept of corporate social responsibility has largely been tokenistic. Community roads are being further degraded by shunting trucks and yet there is no effort to upgrade the roads. Consequently, public transport to places like Marange is now too expensive due to the condition of the roads, caused by mining.
ZDAMWU has engaged the relevant stakeholders such as the Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, to no avail. Statutory bodies such as the NSSA and NEC have been ineffective in addressing these grievances largely due to the politicization and securitization of the mining sector.
Recommendations
To the Government of Zimbabwe
- Ensuring that mining companies comply with occupational health, safety and environmental standards and legislation in the workplace.
- Cushion the workers from exploitative labour practices, including poor remuneration, unfair labour contracts and human rights abuses.
- Reduce the importation of labour which deprives of employment opportunities.
- Invest mining profits in the public goods of producing communities. Road infrastructure, clinics, schools, and income-generating projects must be prioritized.
To Mining Companies
- Review and improve the working conditions of your employees with a special focus on remuneration, housing, ablution facilities and personal protective equipment.
- Develop a comprehensive gender policy and victim support mechanism that explicitly deals with sexual harassment in the workplace.
- Ensure the functioning of safety, health and environmental policies within your workplace to minimize occupational hazards and environmental degradation.
- Facilitate a conducive environment for employees to participate in Trade Union activities.
For more details please contact:
Zimbabwe Diamond Allied Mine Workers Union
J. CHINHEMA
ZDAMWU GENERAL SECRETARY
Cell: 0772976261/0717803553
Email: jchinhema@gmail.com/gs@zdamwu.co,zw
Centre for Natural Resource Governance CNRG Information department, Email info@cnrgzim.org
Cell +263 779 078 873
Twitter: @CNRG_ZIM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnrg
Website: https://cnrgzim.org/