8 April, 2025Research findings are concluding that in the absence of strict adherence to international labour standards and national labour laws, the critical transition minerals boom in Zambia runs the risk of increasing workers’ rights violations and environmental degradation.
The research entitled the impact of foreign direct investment on labour and trade union rights in Zambia’s critical minerals sector was conducted by Sekondi Consult.
With rich critical minerals deposits being found in the Copperbelt and other areas, trade unions fear that without compliance the minerals rush threatens gains made through collective bargaining and social dialogue. The minerals, which include copper, cobalt, lithium, tin, graphite, coltan, manganese and rare earth elements used in the manufacturing of renewable energy systems, electric vehicle batteries and energy storage solutions, have attracted investors from Canada, China, India, United Arab Emirates, the USA and other countries. Local investors and state-owned companies are also involved.
The workshop in Kitwe, 25-28 March, aimed at using the research findings to strengthen the Sub-Saharan Africa energy network (SSAEN) strategies for the energy transition. Twenty participants from Mine Workers Union of Zambia, affiliated to IndustriALL and representatives from artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) in North Western Province engaged in discussions on the report. Other participants were from IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), FES Zambia and the FES Trade Union Competence Centre for SSA (FES TUCC) which commissioned the research. The workshop was also supported by the United Federation of Danish Workers 3F which has a Just Transition programme with IndustriALL affiliates.
The report stated that 27,737 workers were employed by sub-contractors under precarious working conditions and said unions should campaign against this.
The workshop mentioned that environmental, social and governance standards were being neglected by some multinational corporations (MNCs) to the detriment of communities and the environment. To reverse this, the unions recommended that the Zambia Environmental Management Agency should monitor the environmental impact of mining and enforce regulations including in ASM. The researchers added that the government of Zambia is in the process of establishing a desk or an ASM department.
An example of poor environmental standards was given from the collapse of the tailings dam at Chinese MNC Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Limited copper mine in Chambishi on 18 February. The tailings polluted and poisoned drinking water with 30 000 cubic meters of concentrated acid and heavy metals. The toxic effluent was discharged into Mwambashi River, a tributary of the Kafue River - the country’s most important source of water which supports about 12 million people with drinking water, fish and crop farming and supplies the capital Lusaka as well as the city of Kitwe.
There were discussions on the memorandum of understanding on developing an integrated value chain on electric vehicles (EV) battery industries signed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United States of America and Zambia in 2022. Participants mentioned that the DRC’s University of Lubumbashi is already manufacturing EV batteries.
The research recommended that the critical minerals sector should promote decent work: fundamental rights at work, occupational health and safety, job creation, job protection, social protection and maternity protection. On gender equality, there were calls to amend existing labour laws to allow women to be employed as miners using a quota system.
Thelma Nkowani, vice chairperson of the Women in Extractive Industry, Trade and Value Addition Association of Zambia dismissed stereotypes that mining was only for men:
“Women in mining are efficient, they work to the best of their ability.”
“Critical minerals underpin renewable energy and EV industries and are cornerstones of global decarbonization. Mining operations in the sector must ensure workers’ rights are protected and improve working conditions,”
says Paule-France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for SSA.