adminPatrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
ABOUT 350 former Zimbabwe Mining and Smelting Company (Zimasco) employees on Thursday brought business at the firm to a halt after closing the company’s six gates demanding their salaries. Anti-riot police had to be called by management at the Kwekwe Chrome Smelting Company at around 4PM to disperse the disgruntled former workers who had camped there for about eight hours.
Zimasco dismissed about 624 workers using the infamous July 17 Supreme Court ruling that allowed employers to terminate employees’ contracts by giving them three months’ notice, without severance packages.
The company has failed to pay the workers their dues including two months’ salary they were owed before they were fired after promising to pay them by September 7.
Workers said they got angry when they were told to return on September 29, a move they said triggered the action to close the company’s gates.
As a result vehicles and trucks carrying material for smelting chrome were denied access in or out of the company premises.
The Chronicle arrived at the Kwekwe Company around 3PM and found the former employees having divided themselves into six groups that were manning the gates.
The security guards were observing the situation from a distance after workers threatened them.
Several haulage trucks were parked outside some of the gates.
The former workers said they wanted to be paid their June and July salaries which they said they were owed before they were fired.
“We’re not here for the package as yet but for salaries which the company owes us. At the time we were dismissed the company owed us two months’ salary. That’s the money we want because rentals and food crisis have hit us,” said Tafara Mushonga.
“First they told us to come and collect our money on September 7, we came and they deferred the date to September 15 after which they again deferred to September 29. Honestly we’re tired of this shift in dates. We want our money, that’s all.”
Sensing danger, management called the police to diffuse the tension.
Zimasco Human Resources Manager, Tinago Tinago, was then forced by the police to address the ex-workers at the main gate.
A visibly frightened Tinago came to the main gate in the company of four anti-riot officers who were offering him protection.
“I want to tell you that the company will pay your salaries by the end of the month. Next Friday we’ll have dispatched your dues, this is a promise,” he said.
The workers however would have none of it adding that the company had misled them too many times.
“We were told first that the salaries will be paid on September 7, then it moved to 15 now month end, so without any commitment from the company in writing we’ll not move,” shouted a worker.
Zimasco is 73 percent owned by China’s Sinosteel Corporation.
Online Reporter