adminMichael Magoronga
REDCLIFF Town Council has designed a payment plan to cover the salary arrears of its workers after the employees dragged the local authority to court for failing to pay their dues amounting to more than $1 million.
Disgruntled workers had sued the financially beleaguered local authority for failing to pay them $1 116 503 from 2012 to 2015.
This was after the local authority failed to own up to an arbitration award awarded in December 2016, leading the workers through their lawyer, Mr Artwell Chinamatira of Navhiringidze and Mashanyare Legal Practitioners, to take the matter to the high court.
Town mayor Councillor Fred Kapuya confirmed that after receiving the lawsuit, the council has designed a plan to meet the demands of the workers.
“We have designed a payment plan that we hope they (workers) are going to accept given the economic situation,” said Cllr Kapuya.
Although he refused to reveal the plan, Cllr Kapuya said it has been sent to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister for approval.
“As we speak, we are awaiting for response from the minister and then see how best we can deal with the matter,” he said.
The development comes amid reports that the employees have gone for 22 months without receiving a dime from their financially crippled employer.
The town is also battling to settle a $2 million debt it owes Kwekwe City council for water supplies.
The revival of Ziscosteel which Government is facilitating, might breathe life to the town which now resembles a ghost town due to inactivity at the steel company.
derick.khumalo