Zimbabwe could be plunged into darkness by Thursday if workers in the energy sector carry out their threat of a nationwide strike and switch off power over a salary dispute.
The Zimbabwe Energy Workers’ Union (Zewu) yesterday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Zesa Holdings and other private players to effect a salary award granted to the employees in June through arbitration or they would embark on a debilitating strike that will affect industry and commerce as well as the general populace.
Zesa is already battling to meet the country’s electricity demands, resulting in serious power load-shedding that has seriously affected the economy.
The power utility as of yesterday had access to 1 141 megawatts of which 65 megawatts imported, against national demand of 2 200 megawatts daily.
Angeline Chitambo, Zewu president, told journalists in the capital that they had resolved to embark on the strike after Zesa chief executive Josh Chifamba reneged on implementing the new salary structure awarded to the energy sector by arbitrators on June 18. The arbitrators were lawyer Lovemore Madhuku and labour expert George Makings.
“We have given Chifamba 72 hours to respond to our management in a meaningful engagement and people should not be surprised if they wake up without electricity,” Chitambo said.
“We have written so many letters and I don’t think this blackout is going to be news to Chifamba. It will only be news to him if he takes us for granted.”
Zewu is an umbrella body representing workers from Zesa, Rural Electrification Agency, Petrotrade, National Oil Infrastructure Company, Green Fuels, Powertel, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company, Zimbabwe Power Company, Petrozim Lime, Zambezi River Authority and a Mozambican energy firm, CPMZ.
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Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira last night sought to downplay the blackout threat saying there were mechanisms in place to secure power supply services in the country. But the workers’ representatives said nothing would stop them from plunging the country into darkness because the engineers running the power stations were their members.
Chifamba could not be reached for comment as he was reportedly out of the country, but Gwasira said he did not discuss workers’ welfare issues in the media.
“We do not discuss conditions of services and welfare of the staff in the media. However, there are inherent mechanisms in the system to ensure there is always security on the supply of services in the country,” he said.
Zewu assistant general secretary Mbonisi Sibanda said: “An arbitrator’s award is now available and we are saying if Chifamba remains silent and ignorant, our members are going to withdraw labour at their respective power stations and there should be no power generation from these stations because these are our technicians.”
He said Zewu represented over 7 000 employees, ranging from the lowest rank to junior technicians and engineers.
“Sometime in March this year, we presented a notice to the Ministry of Labour and Social Services calling for an industrial action, but it was suspended pending an arbitration process,” Sibanda said.
“Zesa has failed to comply with or to implement the bargaining agreement or the decision made by the National Employment Council.”
Part of the arbitration award reads: “We are therefore of the opinion that the negotiated agreement signed by all parties should be implemented at Zesa with a minimum wage of $275 for Grade A1.1 and make a finding to this effect.
“With regard to the issue of the 12% differential between grades, it is abundantly clear that past practice saw a grade differential of 11% in place between the highest minimum wage of one grade to the lowest grade of the next grade . . . We can see no reason why this should not be applied using past practice.
“The intention of both the employer and employee parties as can be seen from the schedules of wages supplied in support of the arguments raised by the union.”
