Mine bosses fire 1000 Zambian miners for striking over wages and conditions

Brutal working conditions for Zambian miners

The struggle continues between African workers and Chinese mine owners over pay and conditions.  The conflict has been brutal.  A year ago almost to the day, 11 workers were shot by Chinese managers at the Collum mine in Zambia and this week 1000, workers were fired at the Chambishi mine for striking over pay and conditions. Back in 2006, six miners were shot at the Chambishi mine over wage protests.

The Chinese owned companies have invested some $2 billion in Zambian mining operations over the last two years, a lot for the southern African country so the stakes are high and the Zambian government reluctant to chase away good money no doubt.

The present strike at Chambishi is the second this month as Zambian workers refuse to remain passive, fighting ongoing campaigns for higher wages and better working conditions. This week there have been strikes at other Chinese owned operations.  The increasing class warfare and violent response from the Chinese owners has resulted in an increase in anti-Chinese activity and protests.

After the last strike, the Zambian government even ordered the mining company to pay wages comparable to other mine operators but the company refused which led to the present strike and mass firings by management.  The situation shows which force calls the shots in society that the state has been unable to compel the bosses' to act so far.  Not that different to the US in a way as it is bankers and their politicians here that make the rules and break them when necessary.

That this is happening in the 21st century, workers being shot for going on strike, shows the failure of the leaders of the workers' organizations, both economic structures like the Unions and the workers' parties, to build a global workers movement to fight global capital.  The bosses act in unison globally in a  much more coordinated way.  They meet in Davos Switzerland and Jackson Hole Wyoming, or Camp David or some US President's ranch  where they develop their strategy for how best to govern the world society in their interests.  This is particularly so now as there are global, but as yet not so well coordinated actions by workers in opposition to the global capitalist offensive.  Workers in Greece have been fighting the austerity measures in Europe and the European trade Union and political leaders, bent on saving the market from itself, refuse to build and coordinate a Europe wide response. 

The responses from workers and youth throughout the world to increased poverty, repression and misery are organically linking up and learning from each others' experiences.  The Occupy Wall Street Movement in the US has learned from and been inspired by the struggles of workers and youth throughout the Middle East and the globe. Students in Chile influence and inspire students in the US.

Our hearts go out to our Zambian brothers and sisters fighting for a better life against ruthless bosses.  The building of an international united working class movement against the global capitalist offensive is what can stop the murder of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are fighting for a decent life.  Capitalism cannot and will not provide a decent life, it cannot do so in the wealthiest and most powerful capitalist economy that has ever existed, the United State of America so we know it cannot do so in Zambia.

A global united working class movement can put an end to the madness of the market and build a democratic socialist alternative.  The system we call capitalism is broken, it has passed its expiration date.  Humans are collective creatures, since the dawn of time we have learned that if we cooperate and work together we progress collectively; workers do this every day in the workplace.  This natural tendency is what will drag us from the quagmire we are in and what we produce, how we produce it (in harmony with nature) and how we exchange the things we produce can be decided collectively and in a rational and productive manner.  This can be our future, the alternative is the end of life as we know it, we should be clear about that.