admin
Redcliff-based New Zimbabwe Steel Limited for failing to address their plight ever since the company stopped operations five years ago.
Most of the workers are now living in abject poverty while 38 others have died since May last year due to failure to access medication.
The company, formerly Ziscosteel, was taken over by Essar Holdings but disagreements over transfer of rights to iron ore deposits in Mwenezi have stalled resumption of operations at the giant steelmaker throwing the workers into the deep end of grinding poverty.
Speaking in an interview yesterday New Zimbabwe Steel workers union representative Mr Benedict Moyo said the 2 500 employees of the company were now living in abject poverty.
“The workers conditions are dire to say the least. Management is saying they are no longer in charge while Essar is saying precedent conditions to the agreement have not been addressed so they cannot pay us,” said Mr Moyo.
“We have now gone for 36 months without pay and our children are being thrown out of school while some families have disintegrated because of the financial problems we are going through.”
Read More…
He, however, said Prof Ncube and his ministry were heartless in their response to the workers’ plight.
“The minister and his officials have never been here to address our concerns despite numerous pleas to them to do so. We last saw him during the official signing ceremony in 2012 and ever since he has not set foot at the complex. As workers representatives we want them to address us and tell us the real position so that we prevent workers from taking matters into their hands,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the ministry promised to visit them in January but later cancelled the trip.
Mr Moyo added that 68 people had gone on pension last year but were yet to receive their terminal benefits adding that a whole generation of children faced a bleak future because they were dropping out of school and resorting to crime.
Online Reporter