Govt helps quell Innscor feud

with about 26 workers who were demanding retrenchment packages after the expiry of the firm’s dealership.
The feuding parties met on Monday in the presence Ministry of Labour and Social Services officials to find common ground. Officials from the workers National Employment Council also attended the meeting.
Mr Benjamin Taruvinga, a senior labour officer from the Ministry of Labour and Social Services who was chairing the meeting told the workers that they had no right to demand retrenchment, but could only seek mutual contract termination.
He said Government did not recommend retrenchment and has engaged both parties with a view to facilitate their integration into Innscor Fast Foods operations.
On the issue of benefits, Innscor Fast Foods Harare managing director Mr Givemore Munyani could not explain how it would have been feasible to transfer the workers to Total Zimbabwe without settling their accrued benefits.
Innscor initially wanted to transfer the workers to new franchisees after its licence agreement with Total Zimbabwe expired last December. It operated four service stations under the franchise.
The transfer to Total failed because the new operators wanted Innscor to first clear its liabilities to workers for the period they had served.
To avoid the huge cost of parting with the workers, some of whom had served the company for 12 years, Innscor had then decided to abandon the idea of transferring the workers to Total and opted to integrate the workers into its fast foods operations, a move that was resisted by the workers.
Mr Taruvinga urged the feuding parties to make efforts at negotiating for a solution amicably within five days.
He added the affected workers should not suffer any loss on their income if they are eventually transferred to the firm’s fast foods operations.

 

 

Workers wanted packages before cutting all ties with the employer.
Innscor had advised the workers to go on leave while it prepared to redeploy them since retrenchment requires the firm to prove to Government its incapacity to keep them at work.