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

speak further, refuted that anyone worked without PPE. She said, “All our workers are
provided with protective clothing and boots to ensure that they are safe from acid or
other dangerous materials. We always obey the country’s laws.” 143
While Sino Metals does provide protective clothing and boots to employees on contract,
Human Rights Watch was consistently told that casuals did not receive such equipment.
Moreover, as described above, even Sino Metals’ contract employees described serious
problems with obtaining replacements for PPE damaged during work.
While in general the Chinese mining operation in Luanshya appears to have retained the
policy of the previous mine owner in replacing damaged personal protective equipment,
several miners still complained about a reduction of safety standards related to PPE. One
surface worker, for example, said that the new Chinese managers had both extended the
standard timeframe and made it more difficult to replace damaged PPE:
Before the Chinese came, we [surface workers] received PPE every six
months. Now, it’s every year. Imagine that on an overall… to have one
overall for a year—it’s not conducive to that…. If there is a tear or a problem,
you must explain a lot to get a new one. Sometimes, if there’s a tear, they
will say, “You weren’t careful in lifting the battery, so you don’t get a new
one.” They’ve made it much more difficult than the previous employers. 144
When asked about problems with PPE, a Zambian manager from CCS said there were still
problems getting replacements at NFCA and Sino Metals. However, he said that CCS had
changed its policy in October 2010 after his “personal efforts.” He also noted employees
who try to cheat the company as a reason for stringent checks:
If the PPE is damaged during the work process, the person goes to the work
supervisor and is given a new one for free. This became the policy in
October 2010. If it’s stolen and you bring in a police report, you get a new
one. But often you have people coming in with other, broken shoes, saying
it’s their PPE. They lie, to then sell it or give it to someone else. We’re a
143 Human Rights Watch interview with Chinese manager at Sino Metals, Chambishi, July 30, 2011.
144 Human Rights Watch interview with surface-level driver at CLM, Luanshya, July 17, 2011. In respect to PPE at China
Luanshya Mine, CNMC’s letter to Human Rights Watch states, “Upon approval from the safety management department, the
workers shall collect the PPE, as per their request.” Letter from CNMC to Human Rights Watch, October 8, 2011. This does not
contradict what the miners told Human Rights Watch, namely that while the general policies from the previous investor
remained in place, it was more difficult to obtain approval for replacement PPE under the Chinese management.
47 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | NOVEMBER 2011