adminFreedom Mutanda in Checheche
Greenfuel truck drivers staged a sit-in at the headquarters of Macdom Investments on Wednesday morning demanding to be paid their outstanding salaries before they go to work.Workers at Greenfuel last got their salaries in September last year, and the sit-in strike coincided with the harvesting of sugarcane at Rating Investments, which began on Wednesday last week.
However, a manager who refused to be named for professional reasons said the company paid workers in January.
‘’These workers got some money in January which was staggered using percentages, ” he said.
Nonetheless, the drivers were unmoved by that statement. They feel the company is unfair to them and does not value its workers.
“We were given 23% first and then received 25% and that 48% is for January, mind you. We have stomachs to feed, school fees to pay and bills to pay. Do these people really have a heart?’’ One truck driver lamented the sad situation.
The drivers demanded to see Conrad Rautenbach, the man in charge who is the son of the business tycoon, Billy Rautenbach, who pioneered green fuel technology with the opening of the Chisumbanje ethanol plant.
Riot police came to maintain order, but the drivers remained resolute in their desire to meet management. Finally, Conrad Rautenback arrived to meet the drivers after refusing to see them initially.
The Manica Post arrived after he had met the drivers. Sources who attended the meeting say he griped over the cash flow problem within the company and then went on to implore workers to work and the situation would improve after two weeks. Only then will he be in a position to pay the workers.
“There was fear during the discussion. He wanted to isolate the leaders of the demonstration and fire them. How do they expect us to live? Our families are starving,” one driver told The Manica Post.
Efforts to interview Conrad Rautenbach and other managers in the human resources department were in vain as they were holed up in one meeting after the other. By 12 noon, the haulage trucks were back in business as they rumbled out of the yard and raced to Middle Sabi to ferry the harvested sugar cane.
Online Reporter