James Musonda is a PhD candidate and member of “WORKINMINING” research project, a team of six researchers directed by Professor Benjamin Rubbers from University of Liege in Belgium. WORKINMINING is a collective ethnographic investigation into the changes that new investors in mining have brought to the organization of labour in Zambia and Congo-areas marked by a century of corporate paternalism. It explores the micro politics of work at play in companies of different sizes and origins through three complementary subprojects on 1) the practices and discourses of workers in mining companies; 2) the everyday operation of trade unions in the mining sector; and 3) the actions of state representatives in the domain of labour.
Within this collective and comparative project, James’ research focuses on the everyday experience of work in Zambia, asking questions such as: How do Zambian mine workers experience work in mining companies? What are their “tactics” in dealing with corporate power? What are the moral norms governing work relations? How does working in mining companies affect their family and social life? More generally, how does working in such companies contribute to the emergence of new forms of subjectivity?
While many Zambians believe that increased revenue earned from mining will lead to development and societal progress, very few understand what goes on underground where copper is produced. This can also be said about much of the research done on the copperbelt in the past which has been based on oral testimonies of the miners or historical accounts rather than researchers’ own experiences in the underground mines. That a gap of research exists regarding the underground experience is thus unsurprising. It is this gap that this study attempts to fill.
My approach to this study involved following miners in their work and social life. Between June and December 2017, I worked as an underground miner at the Nkana and Mufulira mine sites.
During this period, I normally woke up at 4 30 AM to catch the company bus at 5 AM. At the entrance to the mine, like all miners, I first did alcohol tests and went straight to collect bread and cocoa. Before I could even change into the underground attire, company officials always insisted that I signed an indemnity form. This was an acknowledgment that I fully understood all the dangers and risks associated with being underground, and that I agree that the company would not be responsible for any loss or death. To my colleagues who had to countersign the form, this was a mere requirement. To me, it was a constant reminder of the ‘careless’ risks I was undertaking and how my family and children will lose out in case of an accident- risks appeared as daily experiences.
At Mufulira site, to get to the level where I worked, we had to use two lifts, one which dropped us at level 800 (metres below the surface) and one that took us further down. The cage experience is also one of a kind. Here more than 60 miners press against each and step on each-others toes. To ensure that all miners are in, the cage tender usually pushes the miner standing in front before closing the door, an action called ‘ukuchisa’ i.e. pressing or ironing. In the cage, the dangers of the underground are always emphasised. On several occasions, a miner took the role of ‘pastor’ reminding all miners to live a good life based on Christian principles because death can happen anytime. According to this teaching, those who die without knowing Jesus Christ will go to hell. The teachings also emphasised morality, refraining from alcohol, stealing and so on.
The danger of underground work is often described in the popular discourses mainly through jokes. Thus, it was not uncommon to hear about different accidents that have occurred in the mine without depicting any fear or anxiety on the part of those who told these stories. Often, miners claimed to be heroes for having survived such accidents. These stories continued as we walked from the shaft to the sections. But there is more to this walking story. One of my conclusions of underground mining was that much of the difficulty was not in the nature of work done by miners, but rather in the physical work required before and after work-mainly walking and negotiating the underground environment. As many miners explained, “the work we do here, if it was on surface, would be light duty. It is the environment that is problematic”. Once underground, mines experience the noise of the mobile machines, heat, fumes from machines and explosives after blasting.
Then there are the long and difficult walks. From the cage, it normally took about 45 to 60 minutes to descend to the level where I worked. Lighting in some areas is by electricity – otherwise you rely on the headlamps. The heat makes sweating a normal and obvious experience of underground work. The walk ways are also used by the mobile equipment i.e. loaders, dump trucks, etc. which emit more heat, and noxious fumes, making breathing more difficult. Blasting and smell of explosives complicate the situation even further. It is important to carry enough water bottles and juice for rehydration, face masks or wet clothes to cover the nose, and ear plugs for the noise. Communication is by shouting, and head lamps. The journey is also characterised by frequent stoppages and hiding in the refuge bays to allow the mobile equipment to pass, otherwise one may get killed. Mobile equipment has a right of way so risks appear in daily practices.
At the waiting place, we usually got the handover from the previous shift, conducted a safety talk and took the tasks of the day. Walking from the waiting place to the section of work involved ascending, descending, stepping on stones and rocks, dusty environments and water-logged areas where you literally walk through the mud. Usually new areas had poor ventilation particularly the face or the end where drilling is normally done. It was not possible to stay there for more than 20 minutes. Thus, we would normally go to the walk way for fresh air and also to sit by a leaking water pipe to allow ourselves to get soaked to cool our bodies. My research was thus about such interactions, and participating in what miners did i.e. meetings, mid shift breaks, daily routines e.g. helping in setting the holes were explosives were later inserted, helping drillers, lashing, listening to the complaints and stories, and assisting wherever possible. My conclusion is therefore that mining is not as difficult as the environment required to do it.