Riotous strike in Zambia shuts down coal production

Zambia’s largest coal mine was shut down as striking miners turned riotous on Wednesday.

African news agencies report that police were called in to deal with strikers at state-run Maamba Collieries. The strikers were blocking the main road leading into the mine.

The miners are striking for three months salary in arrears that they say wasn’t paid and are demanding the firing of the entire management team.

Maamba’s chief executive, Wylbur Simusa, told Reuters the payments were not made due to heavy rains slowing production. Simusa says cash flow was just returning and payments were about to be made when workers went out on strike.

The mine produces roughly 120,000 tonnes of coal per year, most of that is used by copper mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Vedanta Resources‘ (VED-L) Konkola copper mine and First Quantum Minerals‘ (FM-T) partly owned Mopani copper mine are two mines that were supplied with Maamba’s coal. Both of those projects are in Zambia.

There was no word from the two mines if the stoppage in supply was effecting their respective operations.

Reports from local news agencies say police tear gas spurned the miners beyond the mine’s main gates and towards the residence of Simusa. There they clashed with police as they attempted to force their way into Simusa’s lodgings.

The main road to the mine is said to be blocked with large stones, concrete blocks and smoldering tires.

Production at the mine is at a halt for an unspecified amount of time. Simusa told Reuters that two copper mines in the DRC and all local Zambian mines were not receiving coal.