Mopani pays 800 contractor employees

MOPANI Copper Mines has made first ex-gratia payment to about 800 eligible contractor employees attached to the mining giant but were not recalled during its 90-day notice for care and maintenance.

An ex gratia payment is made to an individual by an organisation, Government, or insurer for damages or claims, but it does not require the admittance of liability by the party making the payment.

An ex gratia payment is considered voluntary because the party making the payment is not obligated to compensate the individual. It comes from a Latin word, “ex gratia” which means “from favour.”

Mopani Copper Mines Public Relations Manager Nebert Mulenga confirmed the development to the Daily Nation yesterday.

“Following resumption of operations, Mopani Copper Mines Plc stated that it would, in respect of mining contractors that had not been recalled during the 90 days’ notice period, make a voluntary payment directly to contractor employees who had worked continuously at Mopani during the first quarter of 2020 and were in service at the time of the contractor company’s contract termination.

“Mopani Copper Mines Plc can confirm that the process for making the ex gratia payment to eligible contractor employees is well underway and to this point approximately 800 individuals have received their first payment,” Mr. Mulenga said. He appealed for calm as the company was reviewing the progress of payments on a daily basis in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.