UNPAID Gwanda municipality workers have threatened to attach houses belonging to senior managers to recover almost $500 000 owed to them in unpaid salaries after going for four months without pay. ALBERT NCUBE OWN CORRESPONDNET
Speaking to Southern Eye, the council workers’ committee chairperson Sipho Ndlovu said they would be targeting immovable property.
Council owns a number of houses some of which are occupied by senior council officials.
“As workers, we do not want to disrupt service delivery by attaching vehicles,” he said.
“We are in the process of engaging an arbitrator and thereafter we will attach the houses to recover our money because the employer has told us there is no money.”
Earlier this month, council proposed to slash workers’ salaries saying they were unsustainable.
Council is reeling under a financial crisis which has seen it being garnished by service providers.
Meanwhile, tension between councillors and workers has reportedly risen within the Zanu PF-dominated municipality. Workers are accused of sabotage.
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Zanu PF took control of council last year from the MDC led by Welshman Ncube.
A recent meeting between councillors and workers reportedly turned ugly as some councillors almost manhandled workers who were demanding their dues.
Council’s human resources officer Baile Moyo last week wrote to workers warning them against insubordination.
The letter was meant to be signed by all workers and warned of dismissal if they did not adhere to respect, punctuality and confidentiality.
Ndlovu confirmed receiving the letter and said as workers they had refused to sign the document and had since approached the Labour ministry on the way forward.
He said the letter was meant to intimidate workers who were genuinely demanding their money. In April, the town’s 188 workers downed tools demanding their outstanding salaries, but returned to work after negotiations with the council’s management.
