Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) has announced a total freeze on any further recruitment even if a position becomes vacant under the company’s business plan.

According to an internal KCM memo, the announcement took effect from April 8, 2019.

It listed in a seven-point instructive guidelines on recruitment approved by management that there will be no vacancies, which will be filled up, even if such a vacancy fell under the mining company’s business plan.

“1. No vacancies to be filled up (total freeze) even if it is a vacancy in the business plan; 2. No vacancies to be filled up arising from early retirement, normal retirement, resignations, disciplinary, medical discharge or mortality etc. These vacancies will not be filled up by recruiting an external candidate or through lateral movements or promotions; 3. Going forward, there will not be any acting positions, and anyone in acting positions will revert back to their original positions as immediately as possible,” read the memo.

“No grade changes (promotions) will be done to anyone until further notice and no variations to anyone’s employment contract will be effected until further notice; 5. In particular, no movement of any personnel to vacancies in Grade KCM 5S to KCM 8 will be effected until further notice; 6. No vacancies will be filled through promotions between KCM 5S – KCM ; 7. No extension of employment contract to any employee or/and any rehiring of the employee.”

Last month, KCM also formally withdrew its critical allowance payments affecting 320 staff effective March 1, 2019.