adminMichael Magoronga in Kwekwe
Redcliff Municipality has approached the Supreme Court appealing against a High Court order compelling it to pay its workers over $2 million in salary arrears.
The employees won their case at the High Court last month, which ordered council to pay salaries backdated to 2010. The award granted by Justice Francis Bere at the Bulawayo High Court ruled that council should pay $2 023 885 to the workers. Redcliff Town Clerk Mr Gilson Chakauya said they have since approached the Supreme Court seeking nullification of the High Court order. He said the local authority felt there were some critical issues that the High Court did not consider when it passed the verdict.
“We have made submissions to Supreme Court and now waiting a response, so we cannot divulge much on that at the moment since it is a matter still before the courts,” said Mr Chakauya. The workers were represented by Mr Artwell Chinamatira of Mashanyare and Mavhiringidze Legal Practitioners. Mr Chinamatira accused council of buying time. “All they are doing are tactics aimed at delaying the payment,” he said.
“There is only one solution to the matter. It is for them to pay what is due to the employees. There is no way they will win a simple case of an employer who has simply failed to meet an obligation to pay the employee. It is as simple as that.” Mr Chinamatira said instead of wasting time appealing, the local authority should have approached them for a payment plan.
“They are not willing to pay,” he said. “If only they wanted, they should have just engaged us for a payment plan.”
Online Reporter