adminLovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
Dohne Construction, a contractor hired by Unki Mine in Shurugwi to construct part of the 950 houses in Shurugwi town has fired seven employees who are part of the workers’ committee for allegedly inciting other workers to go on strike a fortnight ago. All workers of the six companies contracted to construct houses under the Unki Mines sponsored Impali housing project downed tools protesting what they alleged to be abusive language used by Unki projects manager, John Nyamudyara, when addressing contract workers.
The five other contract companies at the $80 million Impali Housing project are Citizen, New Base, Fill Bridge, Bambanani and Ubuntu.
Workers at the housing project site downed tools two weeks ago after discovering that the six contractors were not remitting their pension deductions for ten months as prescribed by the National Employment Council of the Construction Industry.
The fired seven workers are Takesure Madhege who is the chairman of the workers’ committee for Dohne, his deputy Nqabutho Nyathi, Mary Chivige and Lucy Musasa. Other members of the committee who were also axed are Rangano Siwela, Daniel Maganga and Agneta Ndlovu.
Madhege is also the chairperson of the Impali workers council, an apex body which represents all workers of the six contracted companies.
A copy of the dismissal letters seen by Chronicle dated 2 April, 2014 signed by Dohne Construction site manager, Lydia Manhanga states that the affected workers were relieved of their duties for, “refusing to perform contractual duties, insubordination and indiscipline and disorderly conduct including refusing to obey a lawful instruction given by an employer or representative.”
However, the employees’ spokesperson Nyathi dismissed the charges as frivolous.
Nyathi said they were fired because their employer viewed them as ring leaders who incited other workers to go on strike.
The industrial action which resulted in Unki executives being summoned from Harare according to Nyathi, exposed the platinum miner’s site manager Nyamudyara who was accused by workers of ill-treating them while some females are said to have accused him of sexually harassing them.
“The reason why we were fired is that we are being seen as the brains behind the industrial action which occurred at the site. I was personally accused of not following procedure by meeting the site manager, John Nyamudyara but it was actually Nyamudyara who sought audience with me on behalf of workers. Unki officials from Harare came and workers made all sorts of allegations against Nyamudyara. We were fingered as the ring leaders who sought to embarrass the site manager in front of his superiors. This is just pure victimisation because as far as we are concerned we are being sacrificed so that Dohne can maintain good relations with the site manager,” he said.
Nyathi said the charges preferred against them when they were summoned for a hearing on 27 March are different from the reasons for their dismissal. The seven workers have since taken their matter to the Labour Court and the matter is expected to be heard on 11 April.
Manhanga cut the phone when she was contacted for a comment. Efforts to seek her side of the story were futile as she was no longer picking up her phone.
Nyamudyara was also not answering calls at the time of going to print.
Online Reporter