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minute that passes by he wishes for his heyday at the Colliery where he would go to work on a full stomach and some extra cash in his pockets for some after-work imbibing.
Now, Maedza is no longer sure if that is going to happen again at this company.
A cloud of uncertainty continues to hover over the future of hundreds of workers at Hwange Colliery Company after production nosedived during the last couple of months, amid revelations that the company is not only struggling to pay workers on time but is at times completely failing to pay them.
Workers express disgruntlement over the plummeting standards at Hwange Colliery Company. They say the company has drastically scaled down production and is failing to pay salaries, a development that has left a myriad of workers in a quandary.
A worker who preferred anonymity for professional reasons confirmed that his monthly salary has been delayed and how it has inconvenienced him. Some of the employees put the blame on mismanagement and unprofessionalism on the part of those running the company.
“This company is not properly managed and if the managers continue to be unprofessional like what is happening the company will surely go to the trenches,” said the worker.
The workers also expressed their concern over the rumours of the bouncing back of Professor Godfrey Dzinomwa as the new managing director.
“Yes, we understand Prof Dzinomwa is coming back, but what assurance do we have that he will resuscitate the company, considering he left the company long back,” ask the workers’ committee.
The two workers’ unions – Amalgamated Miners’ Union of Zimbabwe and National Union Mines Quarry Iron Union Steel Workers of Zimbabwe and representing Hwange Colliery workers – said employers gave the statement that the workers have not been paid for their salaries for some months leading to the dissatisfaction of the workforce.
The unions also confirmed that there has been a non-payment of backpay dating to 2011 and the production bonus for 2011. Moreover, it stated that the management has failed to issue the 2007 and 2012 share certificate without justifiable reasons.
Continuing with the workers’ grievances, the workers’ union said the management of the company has misappropriated funds meant for hospitalisation, funeral, pension and non-remittance of statutory deductions. The workers’ unions stated that the misappropriation of funds has led to an industrial disharmony .
“This industrial disharmony which has caused employees to strongly lobby for their dues, for example in March 2012 the 3 Main underground workers expressed their disgruntlement and five workers were fired, and on April 3 2013 employees took it upon themselves to confront management on their position to pay their dues.
When employees asked for management’s commitment in writing management refused. A deadlock was reached with workers demanding a written commitment the driving force being the management’s inherent nature of continuously changing position, hence not fulfilling all commitments. This led to a wildcat “sit-in” leading to 525 employees receiving complaint forms with dismissible charges.”
The balance sheet for the year 2012 posted over US$3 million profit but management has failed to address on the amount.
Although Minister of Mines and Mining Development Dr Obert Mpofu castigated the decision to dismiss five workers and suspended the 525 others, he said the board will meet the management to resolve the grievances of the workers.
Meanwhile, while Hwange board of directors has been quiet on who is coming to replace Mr Fred Moyo, but sources within the company said Prof Dzinomwa, who left the company in 2006, is bouncing back.
Over the past year workers have been surviving on shoestring budgets as salaries now come late. The HCCL is the leading coal mining company in Zimbabwe, end of last year the company sealed a deal worth US$22 million with Norinco, a Chinese company, in a bid to boost its coal production.
In September last year, the same company laid off 200 workers but they are still on the pay roll after the company failed to give them exit packages. Most workers who were retrenched in September comprised managerial, technical, and non-managerial staff .
Things used to tick, but time seems to have ticked away from the good old days and many a worker is now not sure of the future. Now only time will tell.
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Online Reporter