adminCaroline Magenga Midlands Reporter
WATER utility, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) owes its workers three months’ salaries.
The workers said Zinwa was working on paying them their December salaries this month in a bid to reduce the arrears.
The workers said they were also expecting their bonuses which the employer promised to pay.
One of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the issue was really desperate on the ground.
“We need to pay our rentals, utility bills and transport costs. We are forced to live in debt just to make ends meet. Even when we are eventually paid, the money is most likely to service debts leaving us with nothing,” said the worker.
The workers castigated their workers representative body, the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (Zewu) which they claimed was not doing enough to push for the payment of their salaries.
“We find ourselves questioning their role as our representatives because we feel there is more they should be doing. They are just acting like everything is normal,” said another worker.
The workers said their employer always told them the same tired story that the organisation was facing financial constraints.
They said their bosses were busy advancing each other loans at a time when the rest of the workforce was suffering.
“These people were giving each other loans of between $90,000 to $100,000 last year. The money was coming from the same coffers that are supposed to pay our salaries. We are fed up with their stories because we have families to take care of,” said a worker.
Zinwa corporate communications manager, Marjorie Munyonga confirmed her organisation owed workers salaries.
She said the problem was partly caused by organisations that were failing to service their debts.
“It is true Zinwa has a salary backlog. This is due to the fact that most of our debtors have not paid us. Zinwa is owed close to $100 million by the government, local authorities, parastatals and other individual consumers,” said Munyonga.
She said the water utility was operating under difficult conditions like any other business entity but efforts were being made to clear the salary arrears.
On the issue of loans, Munyonga said the organisation was not giving loans to management teams due to economic constraints.
She said loans used to be given to all employees when resources were available.
Online Reporter