“You'll Be Fired if You Refuse” - Human Rights Watch

acknowledged by various parties. In 2011, China Luanshya Mine not only organized a
mines rescue competition within the mine, but the team it sent to represent the company
in the Zambia Mines Rescue Association competition even clinched the top prize. After
taking over the mine, China Luanshya Mine has invested over US$7 million in 58
rehabilitation and rebuilding projects at Baluba Mine, including investment in the water
drainage system, the ventilation system, and a hoisting system, among others. It has
restored a tailings discharge system at Luanshya River; its eight-foot pipe system had
been in disuse for ten years.
For the first time, six sets of dust removal equipment were installed at the mineral
processing ore crushing plant, and surface waste material was transported from Muliashi
to Musi tailings dam, where it was used for reinforcement of the dam body and to begin
land reclamation works. The company invested US$7 million in the use of HDPE [High-
Density Polyethylene] lining technology for Muliashi Mine Tailings Dam, to prevent
accidents such as solution leakage to the greatest possible extent. This use of HDPE
lining technology is of the largest scale in Zambia, and is the first time that the
technology is being used. These measures have won positive reviews from the local
government, the public, and the workers. The protection of mine safety has been further
enhanced with these measures, which are also more environmentally friendly and have
brought about further improvements in the work conditions for workers.
Meanwhile, China Luanshya Mine has never had a pattern of mine managers forcing
workers to work in hazardous conditions as claimed. We will take disciplinary action against
mine managers who permit or do not stop workers from working in hazardous conditions,
regardless of their seniority. Before China Luanshya Mine workers can commence work, the
workplace has to be inspected by the person in charge of safety (or PIC - Person In Charge)
there or a more senior manager. Only after he confirms and announces that the site is safe
can workers enter the workplace. Should safety officers or anyone at the workplace discover
that conditions at the site are unfit for work to be carried out safely, they have the right to
call for a stop of all work activities until hazardous elements are removed. Such decisions
are not subject to any restriction. Any instance in which workers are forced to continue
working at the risk of danger shall be dealt with through disciplinary action.
China Luanshya Mine drafted the “Measure Regarding the Distribution of Protective
Equipment for Workers”, in which the distribution standards were introduced after full
communication with, and consent from, the trade union.
The protective equipment for workers is based on the actual needs of each job (job type),
and the distribution schedule was also based on full consideration of various factors. We
have always unconditionally replaced personal protective equipment that has, for various
reasons, been damaged ahead of the scheduled date of replacement. Once workers’
personal protective equipment (PPE) is found to be defective, we take the initiative in
requesting that the workers report this to the company’s safety management department;
upon approval from the safety management department, the workers shall collect the PPE,
as per their request.
In fact, with the exception of having to recently employ one Chinese worker to enhance
safety management of the Muliashi project, the rest of China Luanshya Mine’s safety
department is entirely made up of local Zambian workers. The safety management
105 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | NOVEMBER 2011