adminMidlands Bureau Chief
THE National Employment Council for the Construction Industry of Zimbabwe on Monday suspended operations of the six construction companies contracted by Unki Mine at its Shurugwi housing project for allegedly failing to remit workers’ subscriptions to the council. Some of the workers are also owed up to five months’ salary by their employers.
On Wednesday workers took advantage of their NEC directive to stage a demo outside the housing offices at the construction site.
A document sent to the six companies, Newbase Construction, Dohne Construction, Ubuntu Construction, Citizen Construction, Bambanani Construction and Searlbridge Construction companies, stated that the contractors had seven days to comply with the order failure of which they would be prosecuted.
Workers accused some of the companies of delaying to pay their salaries and wages since November while at the same time deducting money for the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and NEC but not remitting the money.
The companies were exposed when some of the employees whose contracts were about to end approached NEC to query the NEC deductions.
Workers, whose wages differed according to companies, are contributing various amounts ranging from $15 to $30 as NSSA monthly subscriptions, $18 to $25 as NEC and $40 or more as PAYE.
Most of the workers have a net monthly salary of between $300 and $350.
When a Chronicle news crew visited the housing project offices, hundreds of workers were camped outside the main entrance, waiting to be addressed.
Unki management, NEC officials and the Zimbabwe Construction and Allied Trades Workers Union representatives were locked in a meeting that lasted for more than three hours.
The construction workers said they failed to understand why their employers were failing to pay them when Unki Mine was paying them.
Takesure Madhege, the workers committee chairperson of the Impali Housing branch
said some of the workers were owed five months salaries.
Online Reporter