NEWBASE Construction employees in Zvishavane have accused their war veteran boss of using his status to threaten them with violence each time they demand their wages.
ALLIEWAY NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Recently 40 workers reported the company and its director Newton Bhasera to the Labour Court for Arbitration and arbitrator Mercy Mukosera ordered Newbase to pay $71 591,14 in outstanding wages.
However, six workers withdrew their case after being allegedly threatened by Bhasera leaving the award at $57 652,95 which Bhasera was ordered to pay within six months starting from April 30, but he has paid nothing to date.
One of the workers Norman Mutuku, who was a risk control supervisor at Newbase Construction, was first demoted before being fired without notice after reporting the case in December.
“Since we reported the case we never got our salaries. We were even demoted before we were fired verbally without any notice or a written letter by the human resources manager Simon Hungwe,” Mutuku said.
Other fired employees include Stancellous Tobaiwa, Claudius Musharu, Shelter Chikati, Munashe Mpofu, Ezekiel Hwema, Bigboy Sithole and Timire Dube. Musharu, who was a guard at the construction company, said they doubted very much if Bhasera was a war veteran.
“Is he truly a war veteran; and if he is one, do war vets have liberty to ill-treat employees?” Musharu asked.
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Tobaiwa said Bhasera had even barred employees from forming a workers’ committee.
“He is evil to the extent of refusing us to form a workers’ union. Right now I was on leave and upon returning to work, Hungwe told me that my vacancy had been filled and we have no one to represent us,” Tobaiwa said.
Newbase Construction was involved in the renovation of Mandava Stadium a few years ago and currently has contracts with Mimosa Platinum Mine, but the workers claimed that Bhasera always said the company had no money.
Labour activist and lawyer Emmanuel Gwenzi said Bhasera’s actions were uncalled for and he was going to lobby labour organisations to take up the issue.
“This is totally unacceptable. The Labour Act Chapter 28:01 Section 8(e)(i) states that an employer . . . commits an unfair labour practice if, by act or omission he fails to comply with or to implement a collective bargaining agreement. Hence we are to lobby for an enquiry into Bhasera’s activities,” Gwenzi said.
A member of the war veterans’ association in Zvishavane, Douglas Chatsauka, blasted Bhasera for tarnishing the image of the former liberation fighters saying his actions went against the country’s economic blueprint ZimAsset.
“If someone is greedy, he mustn’t use our name for selfish gains. As war veterans, we are there to promote development through creating employment that sustains the majority in line with ZimAsset,” Chatsauka said.
Bhasera on several occasions when he failed to pay workers their dues would threaten to beat employees who would question his decision saying that he is a war veteran.
Contacted for comment, Bhasera confirmed that he was a war veteran and challenged workers who felt threatened to report to the police.
“I am a war veteran for sure and if anyone feels threatened bring him to my office so that he/she may tell me directly or go and report my threats to the police,” he said.
