CHINHOYI-Tempers are reportedly running high among workers at Chinhoyi Municipality after a faction affiliated to a rival workers’ union recently held a Christmas party despite non-payment of their salaries for the past four months, a move described by their counterparts as tantamount to “selling out”.
Report By OWN CORRESPONDENT
The nearly 330 low-tier council workers have perennially been grappling with the non-payment of their dues on time. The workers went into the festive season without being paid after council failed to fulfil its pledge to pay before Christmas Day.
However, managers reportedly awarded themselves two months’ salaries.
In spite of this, workers affiliated to the Zimbabwe Urban and Rural Council Workers’ Union (ZURCWU) under the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) banner found reason to celebrate and thronged Cooksey Hall where a party was hosted for them by their labour body, much to the chagrin of their fellow workers aligned to the Water Authorities Workers Union of Zimbabwe (WAWUZ) and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions-affiliated Zimbabwe Urban Council Workers’ Union.
Said a WAWUZ member: “Our comrades in ZURCWU have lost direction. After the party, then what now? Their behaviour displayed immaturity. How could they feast at a time when council workers are not getting paid?
What’s there to celebrate? They should have mobilised workers to press management to pay salaries in time for Christmas and the New Year’s festivities so that we could buy our families food for the season which was gloomy.”
ZURCWU secretary-general Shepherd Danda fired a broadside at their detractors for questioning the motive for the party.
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“They have no locus standi to question us and how we use subscriptions paid by our members. In Chinhoyi, our members decided to use the surplus money to host a party and it was entirely up to them to decide.
“However, non-payment of salaries is of greatest concern to us, but the obtaining financial squeeze has forced us to stretch our minds to understand the plight of council managers.
“We have come to accept that as long as councils pledge to put workers on payment plans, it is fair enough. The truth is councils don’t have money as ratepayers are not paying up,” said Danda.
Efforts to get comment from council workers’ committee chairman Stewart Kapfudza and acting town clerk Webster Tembo were fruitless yesterday.
