adminLovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
THE welfare of Ziscosteel, now NewZim Steel employees in Redcliff is now worse amid reports that some of them are now homeless after being allegedly locked out by Redcliff municipality for non-payment of rentals.
Workers representatives body, Iron and Steel Managerial Employees Association workers committee (ISMEA) chairman, Benedict Moyo, said promises of salary payments made by government and Essar Holdings which took over the steel giant have not been honoured.
“Since the payments of school fees and other payments made to us nothing has been given to us again. Even the staggered salary payments which we had been promised is still to commence,” he said.
Moyo also dismissed assertions by Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister, Chiratidzo Mabuwa that management at the steelmaker will be retrenched and absorbed into NewZim Steel. Former Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Jeitendra Tripathi, when he bade farewell to the Senior Minister of State in the Office of the President, Simon Khaya Moyo, also said NewZim Steel had absorbed 3,000 workers who had been retrenched by Ziscosteel.
Moyo said the association had not been engaged on the proposals.
“As ISMEA we are not aware of anyone who has been retrenched. We are only hearing it from the press after Deputy Minister (of Industry and Commerce) Chiratidzo Mabuwa and the Indian ambassador made those statements.
“We had a meeting with workers today and we agreed that should there be retrenchments at Zisco, then proper procedures as outlined in the Labour Act should be adhered to,” he said.
Moyo said people should have been given severance packages which could have improved their plight but workers have not received anything.
Efforts to get a comment from Deputy Minister Mabuwa were futile yesterday.
Industry and Commerce Minister, Mike Bimha said he was not aware of the statements issued.
Redcliff mayor, Councillor Fred Kapuya confirmed that the municipality had locked out some residents for failing to pay rent.
He, however, said the people who were being locked out are not NewZim Steel workers but people who were trying to take advantage of the situation by claiming to be the fallen steel giant’s employees.
“It is true that we are locking out residents who have failed to pay rent. The people whom we are locking out are not Ziscosteel employees but these are residents who have nothing to do with the company.
“There are 840 houses in Redcliff and Zisco employees occupy about 140 houses. The rest are hiding behind a finger so that they do not pay rent,” said Clr Kapuya.
He said council is working on an arrangement with Ziscosteel so that the company will settle rent arrears for its employees.
derick.khumalo