Bitter dispute at sugar giant

Africa Moyo
TONGAAT HULLETT has been stung by an employee industrial action that clocked 16 days last Friday with no immediate prospects of thawing.
The employees are protesting over low salaries.
This has prompted the company to engage stakeholders in an attempt to bring the situation to normal.
The company had earlier pinned hopes of containing the industrial action with a court order after approaching the Supreme Court.
However, the ruling was made in favour of the employees, setting the stage for a protracted dispute.
Tongaat employees are represented by the Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Industry Workers Union and the Sugar Production and Milling Industry Workers Union of Zimbabwe.
ZSMIWU represents the bulk of employees while SPMWUZ — an affiliate of the United Food and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe — represents 7 500 workers who dumped the former on allegations of misuse of funds and under-representation.
ZSMIWU triggered the industrial action at Tongaat in protest over “low salaries” that are pegged at US$170 for the least paid. However, they did not get the blessing of SPMWUZ whose members chose to negotiate with the employer, instead of striking.
Due to the absence of a common position among the workers’ unions which has seen some workers reporting for duty, there have not been major production disruptions in Triangle, Mwenezana and Mkwasine apart from the one at the Hippo Valley mills in the early days of the strike.
But the situation dramatically changed mid-last week with reports that hired thugs locked gates and manhandled those who defied the strike call.
Ufawuz general secretary, Mr Adoniah Mutero told The Sunday Mail Business that workers, especially those under SPMWUZ, had been religiously reporting for work but were being stopped by hired thugs.
Tongaat Hullett (Triangle and Hippo Valley Estates) corporate affairs and communications manager Ms Adelaide Chikunguru added: “Yes the employees were still striking this morning (last Thursday).
“We will advise of progress should there be a change. Engagement efforts with relevant stakeholders are currently underway. We will advise on progress made in that regard in due course.”
ZSMIWU secretary general, Mr Tendeukai Chinooneka said he had been in Harare for the better of last week and only returned to Chiredzi on Wednesday and did not have the finer details of latest developments.
Mr Chinooneka has indicated that the job action will continue until wages were at par with Tongaat operations in Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland, where workers get at least US$350 monthly.
Mr Mutero said SPMWUZ had written to Tongaat seeking interim relief pending finalisation of the wage negotiations. The company promised to respond soon.
“The call for an interim relief is premised on the fact that the negotiations are unlikely to conclude any time soon.
Such a delay has serious consequences to the workers in the sugar milling industry who are suffering from stress related sickness as a result of over borrowing, which has been necessitated by an expectation of an (salary) increase,” said Mr Mutero.
SPMWUZ shelved a strike action to force the employer to stop deducting union dues of US$2,50 from its members and channelling the money ZSMIWU.
This followed signing of a certificate of settlement between the parties.
The terms of the settlement included resolving the issue within seven days but this did not happen.
On November 28, the SPMWUZ national council meeting resolved to consider approaching the courts for redress.