Expedite Restructuring Process Of Indeni, Unions Ask Government

The National Union of Transport and Allied Workers (NUTAW), a union that represents workers at Indeni Petroleum Refinery in Ndola is asking the Government to expedite the restructuring process of the oil firm.

Energy Minister Peter Kapala on Wednesday officially informed Indeni workers during a meeting held at the plant that the firm will be restructured in order to make it more viable.

Mr. Kapala, who was accompanied by Finance Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Information Minister Chushi Kasanda and Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo, confirmed that workers at Indeni who include 327 permanent ones will be declared redundant and asked to reapply when the petroleum firm is restructured.

NUTAW President Kingsley Kachenjela said workers at Indeni want the transition process to be concluded quickly.

Mr. Kachenjela said NUTAW is happy that the Government has promised to pay all the workers their redundancy packages during the restructuring process.

“As a union all we are looking forward to is for this process to be expedited so that the anguish our members have gone through can be subdued. Firstly, we would want them (the Government) to expedite the process that our members are paid off at the most within 30 days from yesterday (Tuesday). Then also for them to quickly make it clear the model we are going into so that it is fully operational for the benefit of the nation,” Mr. Kachenjela said.

He said the union was pleased to see the Government publicly state its official position regarding the future of Indeni.

“We are happy that finally the Government came in and made clear to the workforce, our members that indeed with the change of mode of the Indeni Petroleum Refinery to another mode, our members will be paid off. It is also gratifying that the Government has committed that it is going to absorb the 327 workers once Indeni changes into a different mode. We are coming from a situation where it was not clear, the way forward was not very clear in as much as initially Government made pronouncements but when it came to our members it was not very clear which direction we were going,” Mr. Kachenjela said.

Indeni has not been operating fully since December 2020 owing to lack of feed among other issues.

He said his union was confident that the restructuring of Indeni by the Government will be successful.

Mr. Kachenjela further pledged the union’s commitment to supporting the Government’s plan regarding the future of Indeni.

“As a union we are very optimistic that the New Dawn Government means well and as a union we will fully support the New Dawn Government so that whatever plans they have for the nation it will trickle down to everyone and that everyone will benefit out of the programmes they are doing. As a union we strongly feel that this is the best option because we feel the Government has done their homework properly and it is from that background that we feel it was going to work for the benefit of the country,” he said.

According to Mr. Kapala, under the newly proposed structure Indeni will stop petroleum refinery business and start operating like an oil marketing company.

The Minister of Energy did not specify the period in which Indeni will be restructured after the Government placed it on care and maintenance late last year.

Mr. Kapala hinted that the transformation of Indeni will start with the appointment of a new board in the next two weeks. 

The new board will later engage Indeni management to look at the proposed restructuring process from the Government.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times

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