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Lovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
ESSAR Africa Holdings have begun a skills audit of the workforce at the giant steel producing firm, NewZim Steel, ahead of its envisaged opening later this year.The India-based company acquired a 54 percent stake in 2011 in a deal worth $750 million.
Chairperson of the Zisco Joint Workers Union Benedict Moyo confirmed the visit of Essar’s chief operating officer Deepak Arora to the plant early this week.
“I can confirm that the Essar chief operating officer, Deepak Arora, visited the plant and addressed workers. He said the appraisal was prompted by the company’s intentions to introduce new technology when the company resumes production in mid-July,” said Moyo.
Moyo said the Essar boss assured the workers that no one will be fired or be demoted from their posts as a result of the assessment.
However, the trade unionist said the position of the workers is that they are not in the right frame of mind to be assessed since they have not received their salaries for some time.
“As workers, we are in agreement with the company’s position to assess us. Our only concern is that workers are not in a good state of mind to be assessed. If only Essar can pay us our outstanding salaries so that we can pay school fees for our children and other commitments,” Moyo said.
The union chairperson said the workers were wallowing in poverty as a result of the situation prevailing.
He said the workers last received school fees allowances in May 2012 and have not been paid salaries in the last four years.
Efforts to get comment from the Essar management were futile.
Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha could also not shed light on the matter saying he was in a meeting.
The company currently has over 1,000 workers who have gone for years without pay and at its peak the former Ziscosteel produced more than one million tonnes of steel per annum and employed up to 4,000 workers.
Online Reporter