Paladin drivers down tools at Malawi mine

Senior members of staff at the uranium mine, Kayelekera in Karonga were Tuesday morning forced to walk to work after drivers refused to pick them up over vehicle management disagreement.

Some of the drivers said in an interview that management had brought in strict and unbearable measures in a bid to stop illegal siphoning of fuel from company vehicles.

Paladin, an Australian firm runs the Kayelekera Uranium mine in northern district of Karonga which is partly closed down because, Paladin say, uranium prices have slumped on the market.

“These are draconian rules. Management just want to make our job difficult,” said one driver who refused to be named for fear of dismissal from his job.

Paladin general manager Gred Walker could not immediately comment.

However, a source at the company said some of the drivers have been selling fuel siphoned from the company vehicles.

The source said the new rules are meant to curb the malpractice, saying most companies have a set of rules that check illegal siphoning of fuel from company vehicle fuel tanks.

Senior members of staff, who live away from the mining site, are picked up in coaster vehicles every working day morning and are dropped each evening. The senior staff members include those from South Africa, Namibia and Malawi.