A Zambian mine has fired 71 staff for allegedly watching pornographic films on company computers.

The now ex-employees of Zambia’s Barrick Lumwana Mine were fired in accordance with company policy, which makes it an offence to watch such films using the mine’s computers.

Those dismissed from the mine include 40 junior and 31 senior staff. They were all fired after one staff member was caught sending an email with pornographic content to an individual working outside of the mine.

In Zambia, watching pornographic films is also a criminal offence.

However, Zambia’s National Union of Miners and Allied Workers has said it is negotiating with management at Lumwana Mine to have the workers reinstated.

Union president James Chansa has said the employees were identified and dismissed last week after an investigation.

“We have moved in to try and have the workers reinstated because they have families who depends on them for survival and their dismissal may also affect the operations of the company,” Chansa said.

“We know what they did was an offence but looking at the number involved, it’s too big,” Chansa added.