Government Blocks Massive Job Cuts at Neelkanth Lime, Orders Improved Worker Pay

NDOLA – Government has stepped in to safeguard more than 3,000 jobs at Neelkanth Lime Limited after the company proposed introducing automated mining and production systems that would have reduced its workforce to just 500 employees.

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Hon. Chipoka Mulenga, MP, revealed the intervention during a tour of the Ndola-based plant, saying government held firm discussions with Neelkanth’s management to ensure that automation does not come at the expense of thousands of workers especially at a time when the company is still stabilising.

Hon. Mulenga also raised concern over reports that some subcontracted workers were earning as little as K1,070 per month for heavy manual labour. He said government has instructed the company to revise the basic pay to at least K3,000, in line with labour standards and employee welfare expectations.

“The government has urged the company to raise its basic pay to at least K3,000 to meet labour demands,” he said.

Neelkanth Group Resident Director Gopal Kedia welcomed the government’s stance, acknowledging that the firm’s operations had been severely affected until the recent lifting of the export ban on lime to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“The company was on the verge of closing before exports resumed,” Kedia said, adding that Neelkanth remains committed to protecting its workforce as business rebounds.

Meanwhile, workers at the plant thanked government for swiftly responding to their concerns. They appealed for improved working conditions, expressing relief that the intervention has prevented widespread job losses and paved the way for better wages as the company recovers.

The government says it will continue monitoring the situation to ensure that industrial modernization does not undermine employment and worker welfare in key sectors of the economy.