Railway workers sleep at main station

News
SEVERAL National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) employees on Tuesday reportedly slept at the main railway station in protest over non-payment of salaries, with officials saying they had no financial solutions.

SEVERAL National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) employees on Tuesday reportedly slept at the main railway station in protest over non-payment of salaries, with officials saying they had no financial solutions.

CHIEF REPORTER

About 26 workers slept at the station and vowed to continue until they were paid.

The workers said the ailing parastatal in February failed to pay them May 2014 salaries.

Railway Association of Enginemen (RAE) vice-president, Juniel Manyere told Southern Eye yesterday that workers were now destitute.

“The plight of workers has reached alarming levels,” he said.

“Workers are now afraid of going to their rented houses as landlords are demanding rentals owed over several months.

“In recent weeks we have been engaged in series of meetings with different levels of management right up to the director of operations, Michael Matende.”

Manyere claimed the operations director told them that workers should come up with survival strategies.

“Matende said management expects financial solutions from workers, adding that we should resort to 2007 and 2008 survival strategies,” he said.

“That further discouraged workers.

“Therefore workers have opted to sleep at the stations, as they can no longer face their landlords.”

NRZ spokesperson, Fanuel Masikati said they were not aware that workers slept at the main station offices.

“I am not aware of that,” he said.

“We have to make independent investigations and ask our security personnel at the station.”

Last December, workers demanded to be addressed by First Lady Grace Mugabe. They said they wanted to pass a vote of no confidence on Transport minister Obert Mpofu.

Workers are already involved in a wrangle with management their 2014 annual bonuses. The parastatal paid only half last year. The remainder is expected to be paid next month.