admin
being autocratic, insensitive to their plight and practising nepotism, among other allegations.
Police kept an eagle eye on the workers as they milled around outside the company premises along Simon Mazorodze Road.
A worker who preferred anonymity for fear of victimisation said they had given notice of their intention to strike last month at the Labour Court.
“We showed cause why we wanted to strike against the conduct of Mr Ndlovu, among other issues.
“The company management was called and they promised to address our grievances, but to no avail,” said the worker.
Among the workers’ grievances is that they were not informed, in accordance with Section 35 (a) of the Labour
Act, when the company changed hands between British American Tobacco and Allied Forestry.
They allege Mr Ndlovu withheld their incentive bonuses last year, while this year no wage increase were effected.
The other workers’ grievances concern disparities in payment of wages, with some workers in lower grades earning more than those in higher grades.
“We are tired of Mr Ndlovu’s management tactics. He violates works council resolutions and has caused the arrest of the workers’ committee chairman,” said one irate worker.
“He is employing his cronies and is being used as a front by some whites here to promote their interests.”
Surprisingly, the company was busy recruiting casual workers yesterday. They had already already been given green overalls when Herald Business was allowed into the premises.
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Ndlovu were fruitless, as he reportedly did not come to work yesterday.
TPZ human resources manager Mr Samson Mugumisi was barred from speaking to the Press by one Mr Matanga, the company’s finance manager.
He promised that someone else would attend to the reporters, but no one eventually did.
Management and workers were yesterday locked in a series of meetings aimed at resolving the impasse.
The workers are affiliated to the Zimbabwe Tobacco Industries Workers’ Union, whose members were also at the TPZ premises, but did not take part in the negotiations.
TPZ employs more than 3 000 workers during its peak operation periods, following the tobacco auction season.
The company was was founded in 1987 to process the golden leaf, which is the first stage in the value addition process.
Online Reporter