“You'll Be Fired if You Refuse†- Human Rights Watch
“You'll Be Fired if You Refuse†- Human Rights Watch
“You'll Be Fired if You Refuse†- Human Rights Watch
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hour sh<strong>if</strong>ts, though generally only for 20 days a month. The CNMC-run smelting and processing<br />
operations require 12-hour sh<strong>if</strong>ts, the only operations in the Copperbelt that reportedly do so,<br />
raising possible safety concerns. Operations by other multinationals all use 8-hour sh<strong>if</strong>ts.<br />
Anti-Union Activities<br />
Finally, our report documents alleged anti-union activities by CNMC-run companies. Two<br />
CNMC-run operations, Sino Metals and Chambishi Copper Smelter, have only allowed one<br />
union, NUMAW, to operate – despite some miners expressing a clear desire to join the other<br />
Zambian union that represents mineworkers, MUZ. Miners told <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>Watch</strong> that<br />
they had tried to sign papers to establish a MUZ office, but said that they were threatened<br />
with termination should they continue.<br />
In addition, union representatives at the CNMC-run operations described repeated<br />
prejudicial acts against them by Chinese managers for fulfilling their union responsibilities.<br />
Several union representatives told <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>Watch</strong> about being intimidated for<br />
attending union meetings and, in a few cases, even being “charged” by the company – with<br />
threats of having their contracts terminated should they continue to undertake their lawful<br />
union functions. As the report makes clear, such problems are not unique to the Chineserun<br />
operations in Zambia’s copper mines, but they are nonetheless a serious problem.<br />
We would welcome any information CNMC could provide regarding these issues, as well as any<br />
steps it has taken or plans to take to address them. We would also appreciate your responses<br />
to the questions raised below, as well as any additional information you wish to provide us.<br />
<strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>Watch</strong> strives to reflect all perspectives in our research and look forward to<br />
your response. In light of our publishing schedule, we would be grateful to receive your<br />
response by September 30, sent to Matt Wells, researcher in the Africa Division, by email to<br />
wellsm@hrw.org, or by fax to +1 212-736-1300.<br />
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Daniel <strong>Be</strong>kele<br />
Africa Director<br />
<strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>Watch</strong><br />
101 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | NOVEMBER 2011
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