Taming the Congolese paradox in the battery supply chain

The Congolese paradox has resulted in one of the world’s lowest GDP per capita figures despite mineral exports worth billions annually, with over 70 per cent of the population living below the poverty line and millions displaced by violence in the resource-rich eastern provinces.

More than 120 participants from trade unions affiliated to IndustriALL, artisanal small-scale mining co-operatives, non-governmental organizations and community groups gathered at a conference in Kolwezi on 9 October to plot a collaborative assault on human and workers’ rights violations in the DRC’s critical raw materials supply chain.

The DRC is a treasure trove of battery essentials: copper, cobalt, tantalum, lithium and more, all destined for electric vehicles. These are extracted by multinational corporations such as Glencore’s Kamoto Copper Company and Mutanda mine and China Molybdenum’s Tenke Fungurume Mining, alongside artisanal miners that produce 30 per cent of the country’s cobalt.

The conference urged the creation of a forum for engagement on these minerals, intensified trade-union organizing, the formalization of artisanal mining, sustained discussions with multinationals and tripartite dialogue with the government to align interests along the battery supply chain.

Spotlight fell on an IndustriALL study, “Exploring the DRC cobalt value chain: challenges, opportunities and stakeholder engagement,” presented by Theodore Kamwimbi of the Centre for Transformative Regulation of Work at the University of the Western Cape. It dissected mining operations and workers’ rights at Kamoto, Metalkor RTR, the Lualaba Copper Smelter and Sicomines. Subcontractors at Kamoto flouted labour laws, sparking strikes; bribery of inspectors has surfaced at the smelter; Sicomines unions have walked out over bargaining woes and Metalkor has conducted unfair dismissals. The report noted a dip in child labour but bemoaned weak enforcement of labour laws.

Antoine Kasongo, Fair Cobalt Alliance, country director said:

“More needs to be done to combat human rights violations and non-compliance with national and international standards for the benefit of the artisanal mining community.”

He called for awareness campaigns and training on health, safety, eradicating child labour and local industrialization.

Davidzo Muchawaya, labour-sector lead at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), unpacked the IRMA standard’s nuts and bolts and the audit underway at Tenke Fungurume — the first by IRMA of a Chinese multinational.

“Supply chains span the globe these days,” reflected Constantin Grund, FES country director for the DRC, “but for the manual labourer at the beginning of the supply chain, nothing really changes, even though entire product lines could not be manufactured without them. We need fairness for everyone involved in the manufacturing of a product, especially those blue-collar workers who shed sweat and tears.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining and diamonds concurred:

“Key players must form alliances over the critical raw materials supply chain to safeguard workers’ rights, hold multinationals to account and secure remedies for communities and workers when violations occur.”

DRC women artisanal miners face exploitation as unions seek better working conditions

Over 32 000, including 1045 women are working on the site, which is mined by the Mutoshi COMIAKOL (cooperative for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), under deplorable health and safety conditions as witnessed during a visit by IndustriALL Global Union.

Research by IndustriALL entitled Exploring the DRC cobalt value chain: Challenges, opportunities and stakeholder engagement confirms the conditions:

“Women artisanal miners work in and around cobalt and copper mining sites in harsh conditions on unsustainable artisanal exploitation zones with inadequate sanitation. In their work they very often use dirty water, which makes them particularly vulnerable to diseases, such as urogenital infections, skin diseases, vaginal mycoses, warts and irregular menstruation.” In addition, the women are often victims of discrimination, intimidation, and gender-based violence due to prejudices and stereotypes related to harmful cultural practices.

Women artisanal workers exploitation is an example of the brutal nature of ASM where the miners use basic tools, have no personal protective clothing, no adequate remuneration, no social protection and do not enjoy rights enjoyed by workers in the formal sector as per national mining code and international labour standards. To end this, unions are calling for formalization of ASM.

The ASM pits have depths of over 30 meters, with electric winches hoisting the rocks to the surface as well as taking miners underground. After processing, the cobalt is then bagged into sacks ready for the depots where each sack is sold for around US$75 depending on the quality according to the workers. State-owned Gecamines buys the cobalt from the cooperative.

The DRC’s ASM produces over 30 per cent of the cobalt produced in the country which is globally in demand as one of the materials for battery manufacturing for electric vehicles.

“Organizations have come to this site to film and interview workers. We have seen ourselves on television and on social media. But we are not a museum, we are human beings and workers. We hope that all this publicity will contribute towards changing our working conditions,” said one of the women workers.

Constantin Grund, FES resident representative for the DRC said:

“The impressions we gathered on the open mining site leave us feeling dismayed. The looks on the faces of those who extract copper and coltan from the earth with their bare hands speak volumes. It is politically crucial that we continue to talk about this dark side of supposed prosperity. I am grateful for IndustriALL’s commitment as no one else would take this responsibility.”

“The DRC’s cobalt and copper mining is a tale of two worlds: the high-tech, high value multinational mining companies ventures on the one hand and survivalist often dangerous artisanal operations on the other. As trade unions we are demanding better health and safety and decent working conditions to end the exploitation of artisanal workers,”

added Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining and diamonds.

The site visit is part of a series of meetings with unions working on critical energy transition minerals included round table discussions. IndustriALL affiliates in the DRC are Organization des Travailleurs du Congo (OTUC), Secrétariat des Syndicats IndustriALL de la CDT (SSI-CDT), Travailleurs Unis des Mines, Métallurgies, Energie, Chimie et Industries Connexes (TUMEC), Secrétariat des Syndicats de IndustriALL (SSI-CSC), and Secrétariat IndustriALL Global (SIG-UNTC).

The meetings are part of IndustriALL battery platform which identified issues and challenges on workers’ rights and created discussion forums with key stakeholders, including in the ASM sector to provide knowledge and tools on human rights due diligence and decent work in the battery supply chains.

Organizing and campaigns to revitalize trade unions in Sub-Saharan Africa

In Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA), a region characterised by high unemployment, poverty and inequality, low wages, precarious working conditions, poor health and safety standards and human and workers’ rights violations, unions are concluding that organizing and campaigns are key to their survival and improved working conditions especially in the context of declining membership.

The unions expressed these views at a workshop for organizers, convened from 29 September to 1 October in Boksburg, South Africa, which discussed how to strengthen trade unions using various organizing tools and campaign strategies. These included mapping industries and workplaces and identifying potential union members, recruiting, and retaining them. Identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, using national labour laws and International Labour Organization conventions especially Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize) and 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining) effectively is crucial. Further, building union leaders capabilities and curbing gender-based violence and harassment are key. Emphasis was placed on strategic planning, effective communications with clear messages and use of digital platforms such as social media.

The 25 participants from Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe were trade union organizers and union leaders from IndustriALL Global Union affiliates that organize in energy, mining, diamonds, metals and engineering, textile and garment and other manufacturing industries. The workshop underscored that recruitment must pivot on unions primary mandate of protecting workers’ rights, although other benefits could be used to attract workers. The importance of the union as an organization for building solidarity and unity of the workers was key. Organizing was also described as a long-term activity to build union power and density at workplaces especially when done from the shopfloor while campaigns could be short and targeted at specific issues for impact.

The workshop included case studies, role plays and future organising plans, that were based on real workplace experiences and challenges that the unions were facing.

Global trade union networks like Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti, were identified as providing opportunities for recruitment and organizing. Further, global framework agreements were an example of a transnational collective bargaining agreement that unions could campaign for.

Zazi Mugambi, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa head of secretariat, and one of the participants, hailed the workshop as valuable.

“Unions are facing massive retrenchments because of the geopolitical crisis which weakens us daily. In South Africa we need to find ways to organize workers who are not unionised and increase membership to make our unions stronger.”

Aaron Chappell, who has diverse global experience on organizing, facilitated at the workshop with support from the Sub-Saharan Africa regional office. The workshop is the first under the IndustriALL campaigns and organizing project which was adopted by the Executive Committee in 2023 and seeks to bring synergies between organizing and campaigns.

“The aim is to build strong unions through effective organizing and campaigns’ strategies and tactics among trade unions in SSA and globally as this is one of the anchors of building trade union power,”

said Walton Pantland, IndustriALL organizing and campaigns director.

Strike suspended after conciliation at Dangote Refinery

The strike was suspended after conciliation which reinstated the 800 dismissed workers. The chief conciliator then issued a communique.

“Key among the issue captured in the Communique was the immediate recall and redeployment of all affected workers without loss of pay, affirming that their disengagement was unjust and that no evidence of sabotage was established against them. It also reaffirms Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right of workers to freely associate and join unions and provides clear protection against victimization,” wrote PENGASSAN’s national executive council in a notice suspending the strike.

Talks between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery had deadlocked on 30 September, during a meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The suspension comes after a week of militancy by the unions. On 27 September, PENGASSAN, a union for white-collar senior oil workers, ordered its members to halt natural gas and crude oil supplies to the Dangote Refinery plant in Lagos as part of strike action against the unfair dismissal of 800 workers.

The refinery’s pipes ran dry after PENGASSAN members withdrew their labour from upstream companies like Chevron and Shell. Since early this year, the refinery has been producing petrol, diesel, and jet fuel and was launched with support from trade unions.

The dispute traces back to Dangote Refinery’s resentment towards organised labour even to the extent of announcing that it intended to form an in-house union. In August, around 800 Nigerian engineers and technicians at the refinery joined PENGASSAN, an IndustriALL affiliate, citing poor conditions and the absence of collective bargaining. Within days, they were dismissed, and their contracts terminated without notice. The union is condemning the dismissals saying the oil company violated Nigeria’s Trade Unions Act, which protects the right to organise.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives’ petroleum committee called for the suspension of the strike. The lawmakers’ intervention is like the September 9 memorandum of understanding(MOU) between Dangote Refineries and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the junior staff blue-collar counterpart to PENGASSAN, which averted a nationwide shutdown. The MOU, brokered by the government, with support from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), pledged union access but Dangote Refinery reneged after a few days.

As the strike intensified, Nigeria’s House of Representatives petroleum committee urged suspension of the strike on 29 September, while a Lagos court issued an order restraining PENGASSAN from industrial action and mandating the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to sustain crude supplies. However, undeterred and with support from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the NLC, union members barricaded NNPCL towers, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in Abuja, vowing to press on until the workers are reinstated.

Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN general secretary said: “We deeply appreciate your solidarity, discipline and unwavering commitment to the ideals of our union during this critical period. Please remain vigilant and stay united, as the leadership continues to monitor developments.”

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Hoie, said:

“In full solidarity with the proud affiliates of IndustriALL, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, we express deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of Dangote Refinery’s persistent actions aimed at undermining trade union rights and eroding the hard-won collective bargaining structures established by the two unions. The strike is a legitimate response to these unacceptable developments.”

In letters to Dangote Refinery, IndustriALL expressed concern over the company’s anti-union behaviour and called for dialogue with trade unions.

Photographer: Shutterstock

More benefits for ArcelorMittal workers in Liberia as union signs collective agreement

The three-year agreement delivers substantial gains for workers, reflecting both the union’s growing bargaining power and the critical role of international solidarity in supporting Liberia’s labour movement. The deal comes at a time when Liberia’s economy, heavily reliant on extractive industries, faces pressure to balance corporate profitability with equitable wealth distribution.

The new CBA includes a 14.5 per cent salary increase for ArcelorMittal Liberia’s workforce, a notable achievement given the inflationary pressures that have eroded real wages in recent years. Liberia’s consumer price index rose by about 10 per cent in 2024, according to estimates from the Liberia Institute of Statistics, making the salary increment a critical buffer for workers’ buying power. Additionally, the agreement secures a 75 per cent increase in housing allowances, addressing one of the most pressing concerns for workers in the country’s mining regions, where access to affordable housing remains scarce. The company has also committed to supporting homeownership for workers.

Further, the CBA introduces 15 days of annual leave without salary deductions, a significant improvement in work-life balance for employees. The inclusion of five days of paternity leave signals a progressive shift in Liberia’s labour landscape, acknowledging the importance of family responsibilities in a male-dominated industry. Health insurance coverage has also been expanded to include workers’ dependents. This is important in Liberia, where access to healthcare is limited, according to World Health Organization. By extending coverage, the agreement mitigates financial risks for workers’ families, a critical factor in a nation where out-of-pocket healthcare costs are high.

The agreement’s success is underpinned by international solidarity. UWUL credited technical support from the United Steelworkers (USW) of the USA, the Australian Mines and Energy Workers Union (MEU), and IndustriALL for strengthening its negotiating capacity.

ArcelorMittal, a global steel corporation with operations in over 60 countries, employs thousands in Liberia’s iron ore sector, a cornerstone of the country’s economy, which accounted for 65 per cent of export revenues in 2024 according to the Central Bank of Liberia.

For Liberia, the agreement sets a precedent for other industries, where collective bargaining remains underdeveloped. The mining sector, employing roughly 15,000 workers directly and supporting thousands more indirectly, is a key battleground for workers’ rights.

“Bravo to the ArcelorMittal workers for supporting the negotiating team,”

says Dave Seneh, UWUL secretary general.

“The collective bargaining agreement is a key tool for improving working conditions at ArcelorMittal Liberia and we applaud UWUL for securing a deal that improves workers livelihoods,”

says Paule-France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

Mining unions forge global networks to strengthen worker protections

The workshop underscored the need for MNC trade union networks to adopt unified objectives, structured plans and enhanced communication strategies, leveraging social media and artificial intelligence tools to amplify organizing efforts. Key priorities included upholding freedom of association, collective bargaining, occupational health and safety, and living wages, while embedding human rights due diligence frameworks. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) was cited as a benchmark for responsible mining practices.

A particular emphasis was placed on gender equity, with unions advocating for measures to combat gender-based violence and harassment faced by women miners. Proposals included ensuring access to sanitary products and fostering greater female participation to dismantle discriminatory practices.

Environmental accountability also featured prominently, with delegates citing the Kafue River pollution incident in Zambia where acidic, heavy metal-laden waste from a burst tailing at Sino-Metals Leach’s copper mine contaminated a vital water source for millions as a stark reminder of the need for strict governmental oversight and adherence to global environmental standards.

Theodore Kamwimbi, a researcher from the University of Western Cape, presented findings from IndustriALL report, Mapping Multinational Corporations in Mining in Sub-Saharan Africa. His recommendations included extending union networks to smaller mining firms, expanding collective bargaining to contract workers, and addressing wage disparities, particularly in the DRC, where expatriate workers often earn more than locals. Kamwimbi also called for action against child labour in artisanal and small-scale mining, alongside efforts to document and support women miners in adapting to technological advancements and automation.

Christian Denzin, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Tanzania resident director described the workshop as a critical platform for regional unions to exchange strategies and promote sustainable practices within multinational frameworks.

Drawing on successful precedents like the ArcelorMittal, TK Elevator, and Inditex networks, Patrick Correa, IndustriALL director for mechanical engineering and base metals, emphasized the importance of engaging MNC management to ensure the sustainability of global networks. He pointed to ArcelorMittal’s global health and safety agreement as a model for collaboration.

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining and diamonds, stressed the necessity of international solidarity to counter the influence of well-resourced global mining corporations:

“Unions must mobilize workers and leverage MNC networks to defend rights effectively,”

citing campaigns by the Anglo-American and Glencore networks as examples of impactful engagement, including protests on worker rights violations at Glencore.

The workshop concluded with the establishment of global networks for Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti workers, to be coordinated by the Tanzania Mines, Energy, Construction, and Allied Workers Union (TAMICO) and the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU), respectively.

These networks aim to complement national union activities, forming part of a broader IndustriALL project to build resilient trade union power within multinational mining companies.

African trade unions push for HRDD in green minerals surge

The theme of the conference: “Promoting human rights and responsible business conduct in the world of work: from Global Frameworks to African realities” resonated well with other meetings that week which included the regional executive, women, youth and textile and garment network meetings and underscored the need for robust frameworks to safeguard labour amid the African Continental Free Trade Area’s transformative push.

The conference aimed to deepen understanding of HRDD and responsible business conduct, strengthen trade union capacity to monitor workers and human rights risks and advocate for national and sectoral HRDD frameworks. With Africa’s mineral wealth central to the energy transition, delegates stressed that HRDD is vital to prevent exploitation while advancing sustainable development, aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Mining Vision.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) cobalt supply chain, which account for over 70 per cent of mined cobalt globally according to the World Bank, took centre stage. Theodore Kamwimbi of the University of Western Cape’s Centre for Transformative Regulation of Work called for stringent monitoring and remedies, particularly for youth and women in artisanal mining and to end child labour.

Davidzo Muchawaya, IRMA’s Africa Lead, detailed the audit of Chinese firm, Tenke Fungurume Mining in the DRC, noting concerns over transparency and health and safety. IRMA’s safeguards, including off-site interviews and the first-ever audit of a Chinese DRC site was hailed as step towards compliance and accountability.

Global models like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and Germany’s Supply Chain Act were discussed. Judith Kirton-Darling of industriAll Europe called the EU framework a “blueprint for balancing corporate duties with worker remedies,” while Alexander Nolte of Germany’s IGBCE highlighted the German law’s transparency mechanisms as a guide for African states navigating global trade.

Union strategies drew inspiration. For example, Grahame Kelly general secretary of Australia’s Mining and Energy Union shared tactics like leveraging pension funds, prompting the conference to explore Australia-Africa HRDD trade union collaboration.

IndustriALL mining director, Glen Mpufane, warned that without HRDD, “Africa risks becoming a conduit for exploitative labour practices.” He emphasized HRDD role in organizing workers in critical minerals like cobalt and lithium, where labour abuses in Sub-Saharan Africa have drawn scrutiny. The conference highlighted HRDD’s urgency in textiles and garments industries which are facing fast fashion’s race to the bottom and emphasized that advocating for gender-sensitive protection for women workers is key.

Practical tools were an important focus. Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said the HRDD Competence Centre, set for a 2026 launch, in which UNI Global and IndustriALL are in partnership, will support HRDD in mining and textiles. Miriam Neale, interim director, outlined training to bolster union capacity, though delegates raised concerns about sustainability and reaching shop-floor workers. Calls emerged to shift voluntary global frameworks to binding ones. A regional mapping tool, which enables unions to track violations, including gender-specific risks and a panel discussion on how national action plans on business and human rights were being implemented in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda discussed strategies.

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, said:

“Africa must forge HRDD pathways rooted in local realities and global best practices,”

urging unions to hold corporations accountable.

Strike averted: Nigerian unions vs Dangote

Brokered by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the agreement mandates immediate unionization at the refinery, with registered unions like NUPENG granted the right to organize workers. The process is to be completed within two weeks, with guarantees against the formation of competing employer-backed unions and protection for workers against retaliation for strike actions.

The agreement marks a significant victory for Nigeria’s labour movement, reinforcing the legal and moral imperative of workers’ rights to organize.

Two years ago, the inauguration of the US$20 billion Dangote Refinery in the Lekki free-trade zone near Lagos was heralded as a milestone for Nigeria’s industrial ambitions. As Africa’s largest refinery, it promised significant job creation and economic diversification.

However, optimism has soured due to the refinery’s initial resistance to unionization, particularly for drivers tasked with distributing petroleum products nationwide. The refinery, owned by billionaire Aliko Dangote and its distribution partner, MRS, controlled by Dangote’s relative Sayyu Ali Dantata, sought to exclude established unions like NUPENG in favour of an in-house union. This move prompted NUPENG, backed by the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), to call for a national strike.

The dispute intensified following Dangote’s importation of 10,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks in late August, aligning with the government’s push for greener fuel alternatives. Recruitment for drivers came with a condition: applicants were required to pledge allegiance to the company’s union, raising concerns about violation of workers’ rights. The unions argued that Dangote Refinery and MRS’s actions not only violate Nigeria’s Labour Act and Constitution, which safeguards workers’ rights to organize, but also contravenes International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organize, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

Furthermore, the companies’ apparent pursuit of a refining and distribution monopoly challenges the Petroleum Industry Act, designed to promote competition in a sector long plagued by inefficiency and corruption.

NUPENG’s leadership,president Williams Akporeha and general secretary Afolabi Olawale, condemned the refinery’s approach, accusing it of undermining collective bargaining and imposing exploitative contracts. “Wealth amassed through the suppression of workers’ rights is unsustainable and unjust,” they stated, emphasizing the centrality of union representation to fair labour practices.

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, welcomed the resolution:

“The actions of Dangote were a clear violation of fundamental trade union rights and IndustriALL intervened towards the company to push them to change their course. This agreement upholds national and international labour standards, befitting a leading African enterprise. We encourage Dangote Refinery to maintain constructive engagement with unions going forward.”

Photo: Shutterstock

Macsteel strike ends as NUMSA secures worker reinstatement

The strike, which began on 22 August, was triggered by contentious retrenchments that NUMSA condemned as procedurally unfair and exploitative. Workers are set to resume duties on 8 September following a negotiated settlement that addresses key union demands.

The agreement marks a victory for NUMSA, with Macsteel conceding to reinstate all retrenched workers into positions within the company, preserving their wages, benefits and conditions. Further, even workers placed in lower-grade roles will retain their original salary scales, a critical safeguard for their livelihoods. Five workers who opted for severance packages over reinstatement will meet with NUMSA to confirm their decisions, ensuring informed choices.

The strike, described as a last resort by NUMSA, followed Macsteel’s refusal to consider union-proposed alternatives during Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act consultations which deals with retrenchments for operational requirements that include economic, technological or structural changes.

The dispute centred on Macsteel’s implementation of voluntary severance packages (VSPs) under Section 189, which NUMSA condemned as a sham. The union accused the company of coercing 253 workers into accepting VSPs valued at a mere R40 000 (US$1828), calculated at one week’s pay per year of service which is far below the industry norm of three to four weeks’ gross remuneration per year.

NUMSA described the process as unilateral, alleging that Macsteel issued termination letters and pressured workers without consulting the union, violating fair retrenchment protocols.

NUMSA’s demands included the reinstatement of the retrenched workers, improved severance packages and transparent, union-negotiated retrenchment criteria. The union argued that Macsteel’s actions reflected a broader pattern of employers exploiting workers during economic downturns, maximising profits in boom times only to discard workers with inadequate compensation during retrenchments. NUMSA called for government intervention through the Department of Employment and Labour to establish minimum standards for severance packages.

NUMSA general secretary, Irvin Jim, said:

“It should not be tolerated that employers can pay workers empty voluntary severance packages in the name of voluntarism. This is abuse. Greedy bosses must be stopped particularly when they have exploited workers for years.”

“Protection of workers livelihoods even during retrenchments is one of the core duties of a trade union and we commend NUMSA for going on strike to stop workers exploitation at Macsteel,”

said Paule-France Ndessomin, IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional secretary.

Photo: Shutterstock

Unions push for safer, organized artisanal gold mining in Zimbabwe

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) and the Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU), have committed to supporting these efforts.

Artisanal miners, who often rely on basic tools and minimal mechanization, face severe risks. Many lack proper personal protective equipment, exposing them to toxic substances like mercury, which harms lungs, skin and eyes while polluting the air, water and soil.

Poorly ventilated pits increase the risk of lung diseases like silicosis and pneumonia. Deep shafts, some reaching 40 meters, are prone to collapses and flooding, often resulting in injuries or deaths. Miners also lack adequate training on safety protocols, worsening these dangers.

On 20-21 August a delegation from IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional office, MUZ and ZDAMWU, visited artisanal mines in Mazowe, at the former Mettalon-owned Jumbo Mine and in Penhalonga near Mutare. The delegation, which included Zambia’s Luapula Mineral Miners Association representing over 200 small-scale mines which has signed a memorandum of understanding with MUZ, observed hazardous practices, such as miners descending shafts using ropes and communicating through plastic pipes. Further, women miners were processing gold using mercury with bare hands.

At a meeting in Mutare on August 22, artisanal miners requested financial support to mechanize operations and guidance on improving safety. Government officials, including representatives from the Office of the President and Cabinet, endorsed formalizing the ASM sector, urging miners to organize and improve wages and conditions. The Ministry of Mines and Minerals said that it provides loans and information to registered miners, while the Ministry of Labour emphasized support for better working conditions, contracts and wages. The National Social Security Authority highlighted its health and safety training programmes.

Other organizations, including the Centre for National Resources and Governance and the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, also participated.

Union leaders stressed cooperation with ASM associations to improve safety and decent work.

George S. Mumba, MUZ general secretary said:

“ASM associations must work with trade unions to improve working conditions and health and safety.”

“We are calling for a national plan on responsible mining practices and standards that include ASM,”

added Justice Chinhema, ZDAMWU general secretary.

IndustriALL Sub-Saharan regional secretary, Paule-France Ndessomin, said:

“We continue to call for the formalization of ASM as most unemployed youth are earning a living in informal mining and for the protection of women who are exposed to hazardous chemicals and face gender-based violence and harassment.”

These efforts align with the International Labour Organization’s Recommendation 204 on the transition from informal to the formal economy and the African Mining Vision, which advocate for formalizing ASM. While Zambia has ratified International Labour Organization Convention 176 on safety and health in mines, Zimbabwe is yet to do so.

The cooperation between MUZ, ZDAMWU and ASM associations is backed by Union to Union under IndustriALL’s Union Building Project, promoting cross-border learning and stronger organization for Zimbabwe’s artisanal miners.

Zimbabwe’s more than 500 000 ASM extract gold, lithium, diamonds and platinum group metals and other minerals that include chrome, cobalt, copper, iron ore, tin, and gemstones.