Chililabombwe based Lubambe copper mines – LCM failed to either deny or confirm information that has been made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT that the mining firm has initiated plans to cut jobs.
When asked by ZBT to explain the rationale behind allegations that the mining company has initiated the process of cutting jobs by asking its employees to apply for voluntary separation, LCM public relations manager could neither deny nor confirm the information but requested for a formal press query which she is yet to respond to.
When further pressed that there are indication that mining company is struggling with production costs and volumes hence the resolution to cut jobs, the Public Relations Manager Pamela Mupoti said the company is not responding to any media.
Mupoti further stated that the company is working to prepare a briefing that will be done at a later stage. “We are not in any position to make known how much the company is presently producing”.She however could not disclose when exactly the briefing will be held stating.
She told ZBT that the the Company will only give feedback on how much it is producing once everything has been put in place.
LCM in 2018 threatened to cut jobs after the Zambian government increased mineral loyalties sliding scale tax rates by 1.5% and introduced a new scale that would levy a 10% mineral royalty tax when copper prices exceeds a set threshold per ton.
