Disgruntled workers boo NRZ board chair

Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
NATIONAL Railways of Zimbabwe board chair Engineer Alvord Mabena was booed by hundreds of disgruntled workers after he tried to convince them to stop their daily two hour demonstrations which entered the second day yesterday.Angry workers said they would take their grievances to Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Obert Mpofu after Mabena said the parastatal was bankrupt and could not get credit anywhere.

Mabena was flanked by the parastatal’s top management as he spoke to the workers at the Bulawayo Main Railway Station.

Demonstrating workers have, since Monday, been engaging in two hour work stoppages to push for the ouster of the top management as well as demanding their salaries which they were last paid in June 2014.

As Mabena and management left the podium, the workers jeered at them.

They said the address was a non-event as it had failed to address their plight.

During the no holds barred address, workers continually heckled Mabena saying management had had failed them and must go.

“We’re tired of this management, Mabena, you are not giving us satisfactory answers, Karakadzai was better,” interjected one of the workers.

The workers told management that they were also losing faith in the workers’ unions whom they accused of being bribed by the management instead of fighting for them.

Director of Finance, Frank Bhule, told the workers that the company had come up with a short term plan to pay the workers June 2014 salaries and would next month pay them their transport allowances.

“We’ve come up with a short term plan to address the issue of salaries. We’re expecting to pay the June 2014 salaries by Thursday next week — that’s grade B4 to C1,” said Bhule.

“For grade C2 to C3 we’re making efforts to pay by Tuesday next week. We’ll be paying out April’s transport allowance as from the week beginning May 11.”

The workers flatly rejected the arrangement.

They demanded to be paid at least two months’ salary. Mabena pleaded with the workers saying they were making frantic efforts to raise funds as the parastatal was not getting much business.

“We’ve engaged the government and we’ve told them to prioritise NRZ issues so that urgent solutions can be proffered. But I’m pleading with you to keep NRZ running, let’s work together to keep the company running,” said Mabena.

The workers asked him why the company was not getting loans to recapitalise.

“The company is over-borrowed, we can’t recapitalise ourselves, we cannot approach any bank for loans no bank can assist us,” said Mabena.

He said the company was making about $5 million a month which was gobbled by operating expenses.

The workers said they were not convinced by the top management’s solutions and said they would be approaching a higher office to deal with the matter.

“We were expecting that the management would come up with better strategies and ideas but what they’ve told us here is unconvincing we’re now proceeding to a higher office,” said a workers union representative.

Mabena responded:  “It’s entirely your choice to approach the next level, I’ve been there, the Minister Obert Mpofu knows the challenges you’re facing, you’re free to go even to the highest office in the land, and I give you my blessings.

“It’s not like when you invite the minister he’ll immediately turn up. He is a busy man. He has other commitments.”

The meeting almost turned chaotic when one pensioner narrated how he was treated by a finance manager when he went to ask for his dues.

“Mr Board chair I’m very bitter, when I went to see finance manager Mrs Dungeni she told me that she wasn’t my employer and I mustn’t come to her office again. So, my question is where must I go?” he asked as he fought back tears.

He said he retired on January 31 and the company owed him $26,000. The emotional worker was restrained by his colleagues as he lost his temper.

At the end of the almost two and a half hour meeting the workers resolved that the demonstrations would continue.