Africa Press-Nigeria:<\/p>\n
GOVERNMENT must take lessons from Covid-19 lockdown experiences to fine tune policies meant to protect ordinary workers from apparent injustice during emergency situations.<\/p>\n
These sentiments were expressed by rights group, Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) in its assessment of workers\u2019 rights in the mining sector during the current lockdown period.<\/p>\n
According to the group\u2019s findings, while some mining firms have taken steps to comply with the health and safety regulations, some are still exposing their workers to the dangers of contracting coronavirus.<\/p>\n
The World Health Health Organisation (WHO) and government have issued recommendations for employers to ensure safety for employees against Covid-19 through placing sanitisers within workplaces, screening and testing of workers.<\/p>\n
However, in its assessment, the NGO noted that \u201ccompanies like Hwange Colliery Company, Surewing, Zhintin (Mutoko) and Anjin Investments (Marange) have been making piecemeal commitments to health and safety of the employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Mutoko, Surewing and Zhintin reportedly compromised the safety of employees by ignoring these stipulated health measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two companies did not provide hand sanitisers and masks while social distance was not observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took the intervention of police and a local legislator, the District Administrator Isaiah Mukamba and local health officials for the situation to be improved,\u201d said CNRG.<\/p>\n
The group said the company violated Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 Public Health (Covid 19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment (National Lockdown) Order, 2020.<\/p>\n
CNRG said the country`s biggest coal miner, Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) only started providing masks to employees on May 11 and workers were not screened while at Anjin, Marange, employees complained of poor living conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorkers at Anjin said they have been camped at the company premises since the lockdown started.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout 40 people are forced to share one facility for eating, sleeping, bathing, thereby making it difficult to observe social distancing even after working hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company has also not provided masks which are mandatory under Level 2 of the lockdown,\u201d said CNRG.<\/p>\n
The rights group also said some mining firms were also operating beyond the stipulated business operational hours.<\/p>\n
According to S1 99, all businesses must operate from 8am to 3pm \u201cexcept for good cause\u201d that they can prove to law enforcement agents.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, all coal mining companies in Hwange are operating for more than the stipulated working hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Mutoko, all the companies have been operating from 7am to 5pm since the beginning of the lockdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe companies are Natural Stone, CRG quarries, IIford, Red Granite Pvt Ltd, Zimbabwe International Quarries, Surewing, Zhintin and Quarrying Enterprise,\u201d said CNRG.<\/p>\n
Anjin Investments in Marange is reported to have been operating for 12 hours in clear violation of the rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom all the projects sites, CNRG is working, it is only Bikita Minerals and Murowa Diamonds which are observing operating times in SI 99,\u201d said CNRG.<\/p>\n
It also said there are reports of harassment and unfair labour practices by mining companies during the lockdown period.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are reports of victimisation of an employee in a Chinese owned mining company and HCCL is evicting over 100 former employees from company accommodation. These companies are reportedly reluctant to observe local labour laws and uphold basic human rights,\u201d said the rights group.<\/p>\n
CNRG said it is clear that there regulatory and policies gap in government response to Covid 19, as well as implementation gaps in the execution of the lockdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recommend that government convenes a Tripartite Negotiating Forum to discuss the conduct of employers and employees during the lockdown. The Parliament should amend the Labour Act to provide for the conduct of employers and employees during emergencies,\u201d said CNRG.<\/p>\n
It also recommended for enforcement of punitive and deterrent measures for companies that violates the health and safety of workers during emergency situations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Africa Press-Nigeria: GOVERNMENT must take lessons from Covid-19 lockdown experiences to fine tune policies meant to protect ordinary workers from apparent injustice during emergency situations. These sentiments were expressed by rights group, Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) in its assessment of workers\u2019 rights in the mining sector during the current lockdown period. According to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":23262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6],"tags":[239],"class_list":{"0":"post-23256","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-economy","9":"tag-economic-chaos"},"yoast_head":"\n