CLOSE to 50 former Zimbabwe Grain Bag (ZGB) employees on Thursday besieged the company premises demanding their salary arrears and retrenchment packages.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
ZGB is a partnership between the Industrial Development Corporation and Treger Products, which has four manufacturing divisions — Monarch Steel, Kango Products, Treger Plastics and Treger Harare.
Workers who lost their jobs following the July 17 Supreme Court ruling accused ZGB management of breaching clause 5 of the Labour Act, which stipulates that on termination of contracts, employees are entitled to minimum retrenchment benefits that include two weeks’ salary for every year served.
“It’s now close to five months without getting our outstanding salaries,” fumed one worker, who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.
“We have been trying to reason with them (management) to no avail. Today (Thursday) we want our money without fail,” another worker said.
The company reportedly fired about 108 workers, but rehired 80 of them.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Workers claimed the company had since employed 40 new workers from outside.
“This is scandalous and cannot go unchallenged. Why did they hire others before paying us our monies?” queried the worker.
The ex-employees stormed Monarch offices searching for the group’s human resources manager, Bekezela Mangena, but later met other officials.
A workers’ committee member, who identified himself as S Khumalo, said the meeting did not yield anything as management did not tell them when they would get their dues.
“The management was just dillydallying and mum on the issue of outstanding salaries. We wonder what is happening,” he said. Workers pleaded with the government to come to their rescue.
Efforts to get a comment from Mangena were fruitless as he was said to be outside his office.
But group corporate affairs executive Ticha Garabga said Mangena would meet the affected workers individually to discuss their arrears issues.
Treger Products is part of the privately-owned Treger Group of Companies and has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1911.
