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

egistering with the company. However, MUZ failed to produce the statutorily-required
number of signatures of people due to join the union in order to sign a recognition agreement.
We have discussed this with NUMAW leaders, who are of the opinion that for a company
like Chambishi Copper Smelter, where there are less than 1,000 workers, one union suffices.
It is unlike other larger companies (e.g., Mopani and KCM) where employees total 2,000, or
even more than 3,000. They have promised to discuss this matter with MUZ.
D. Sino-Metals
The company believes that the description of Sino-Metals’s “anti-union activities” is not
true. Sino-Metals strictly abides by Zambia’s laws and has never once interfered with the
right of its workers to join unions, neither has it ever interfered with nor opposed any
union that is lawfully set up in the company. Although there is only one union in the
company at the moment, this cannot be used to illustrate that the company is engaging in
“anti-union activities.” The type of union in a company, and the number of unions that
enter the company, depend on the choices that the workers make based on their free will,
and are matters to do with the workers themselves. The company will not, and does not
have the right to, interfere with any union that enters the company lawfully. Sino-Metals
believes that its management and the union has a closely interdependent relationship;
they rely on each other for survival and for development. Neither party is able to survive
independently. Sino-Metals clearly supports the union in its lawful work and in fulfilling
its legitimate union responsibilities; it welcomes and encourages the union to monitor the
company in various aspects of its work. Towards this end, the company has provided
good conditions for the union to carry out its work, and has established healthy dialogue
mechanisms between the management and union. For example:
1) Sino-Metals has provided the union with an office, a union canteen, and transport
means;
2) Sino-Metals has supported the union in launching a number of recreational and
sporting competitions, and has provided financial assistance;
3) Sino-Metals has held many recreational and sporting events in conjunction with the
union, annually and on a regular basis;
4) Sino-Metals has provided financial support for the union’s work and activities;
5) The general manager of Sino-Metals meets the union representatives regularly to
listen to the union’ views and ideas on various aspects of the company’s work;
6) Sino-Metals has already established routine meetings with the union. The supervising
deputy general manager and a human resources officer hold routine meetings and
dialogue with the union representatives;
7) In daily work, be it the union representative or the worker himself, as long as he
considers that there are unreasonable areas in the company, or feels that he has been
treated unfairly, and it is an issue that the department cannot or refuses to solve, he is
able to meet the company’s supervising deputy general manager at any time. He is
able to discuss or lodge a complaint on any matter. He is also able to submit written
complaints. All letters shall receive a reply.
It is precisely because Sino-Metals respects unions, supports unions, and has established
healthy dialogue mechanisms, that the harmonious situation at Sino-Metals has been
made possible.
111 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | NOVEMBER 2011