Hundred of Mopani miners were this morning sent back home after management proceeded to placing the mine on care and maintenance.
Mopani Copper Mines General Manager Colyn Farr met the miners who were in the morning shift and advised them to return home.
Mr Farr then proceeded to issue letters to its employees, sending them on mandatory leave.
The letters issued by Mopani Copper Mines Human Resource department to employees indicated that workers will be paid their basic pay and housing allowances for at least 3 months and are not allowed to take up full time or formal employment elsewhere while leave days will not accrue during the period they will be home.
And Mine Workers Union of Zambia President Joseph Chewe addressed the miners and encouraged them to meet at the Mopani central offices tomorrow morning to pressure management into addressing their concerns.