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Nokuthaba Mathema Business Reporter
THE strike by Dunlop Zimbabwe workers continued yesterday with reports that management has given the striking workers an ultimatum to return to work or risk being fired. According to the workers, the company’s human resources manager, Mr Mbongeni Mkhwananzi, told them that those who failed to report for work will be fired.
“Mr Mkhwananzi has threatened to dismiss anyone who does not report for work tomorrow (today). He also said those who remained loitering outside the company premises risk being arrested,” said a worker.
Another worker said management yesterday morning tried to force the workers to signing an agreement before being allowed to enter the company premises.
“When we arrived at the company premises, there was a document at the gate stating that we should sign it pledging to end the strike before we could be allowed inside,” said the worker.
The document, a copy of which is in Chronicle’s possession, asks workers to pledge that they would perform their normal duties and not take part in the strike.
“We rejected it because the document does not state if our demands for a pay rise would be met,” said a disgruntled worker.
“Representatives from the Ministry of Labour and the workers committee had a meeting with management but nothing was resolved.”
The workers said the strike will continue until management agrees to engage workers in salary negotiations.
“If management decides to dismiss us over demonstrating over pay rise, then they must be prepared to fork out pension funds as well. It is no longer a secret that the company makes close to $12 million in profits per year.
“We have seen scores of workers being unfairly dismissed for advocating for reforms at the company but this time around, we are prepared to continue until changes are effected,” said another worker.
Efforts to get a comment from the company’s managing director Mr Kennedy Mandevani were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
However, when contacted for comment, Mr Mkhwanazi declined to comment.
“As management, we have no comment,” he said.
The workers downed tools on Friday demanding a pay rise.
The strike comes at a time when the tyre manufacturer indicated last month that it had increased its capacity utilisation to close to 50 percent which is sustained by an increased demand of its tyres on the export market.
Recently, the company introduced a new brand of tyres from Netherlands following revelations that Apollo Vredenstein, which owns a majority stake in the company, had purchased six new presses for the production of high quality tyres with the intention of buying 18 more to increase production volumes.
Dunlop Zimbabwe is one of the few manufacturing companies in Bulawayo that have not closed shop or relocated.
Online Reporter