Source: Unpaid Harare workers threaten to down tools -Newsday Zimbabwe
TRADE unions representing Harare City Council (HCC) workers are up in arms with the local authority over non-payment of salaries, with their members threatening to strike before schools open next week.
HCC employees endured a tough festive season and are beginning the year without having received December salaries, particularly those in grades 16 to seven.
Trade unions representing the workers yesterday held a Press conference at a hotel in the capital to express disappointment over the employer’s failure to its side of the bargain.
The Municipal Workers Union of Zimbabwe was represented by its leader George Matongera; the Water and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe was represented by Themba Musarurwa; and the Zimbabwe Allied Municipalities Workers Union was represented by Wilson Chokuda.
Shadreck Chikoore represented the Combined Municipalities Workers Union of Zimbabwe.
Matongera said it was regrettable that the workers went on holiday without receiving their salaries.
The trade unions have written to HCC management, whose bosses are reportedly out of town.
“We had agreed with our employers that all arrears should have been cleared by December 31, but they failed to do so.
“We have written to the chairperson of the National Employment Council. The workers are owed salaries for November and December, as well as their bonus,” Matongera said.
“The employer allowed his workers to go on holiday without salaries. We had Christmas and the New Year; they have rentals to pay and we are now approaching schools opening.
“So workers are demanding that the outstanding salaries be paid before schools open.”
Musarurwa said it was disheartening that council employees were not paid during the last two months of last year, a period in which several work-related deaths were recorded.
“The workers are now thinking that we, the leaders of the trade unions, are in bed with their employers, and that is not true,” he said.
“We are pushing for the workers to be paid. Another issue is that from October to December last year, we received a number of reports of work-related incidents at Harare City Council, with workers dying due to a lack of protective clothing.”
He added: “People are dying at workplaces without protective clothing. Employees are not happy. We are promoting theft at workplaces because the workers are not being paid.”
Musarurwa urged the government to intervene in the crisis at HCC.
“We are urging the government to intervene in these matters because workers are now thinking that we are working together with Harare City Council officials,” he said.
Chokuda criticised Harare City officials for not having the workers’ plight at heart.
“How do you expect workers to pay rentals without receiving their salaries? We are not happy at all,” he said.
“We are now approaching the schools opening, and how do you expect them to pay school fees?
“What is interesting is that these council bosses are paid handsomely and live lavishly.”
HCC head of corporate communications Stanley Gama said council was making progress in paying its workers.
“In terms of the US dollar component, we are up to date and we have since started paying bonuses this week,” he said.
“Regarding the local currency, we are pushing very hard to pay the workers, as we are owed ZiG$9 billion by various stakeholders.
“It is our priority to clear the salary backlog this year. We are almost there, and we are doing well.”
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