SOME National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) enginemen and general workers based in Bulawayo, yesterday staged a protest demanding payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances for the past seven months.
REPORT BY SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
The disgruntled workers initially gathered at the Bulawayo NRZ main train station in front of the area manager’s office before marching past the Raylton Club to the NRZ Training Centre where they dispersed.
Speaking during the demonstration, Railway Association of Enginemen secretary-general Willmore Muza said the workers were demonstrating against non-payment of their salaries.
He said the workers were angered by the $65 they got as school fee allowances, describing the money as paltry.
“The workers were given between $65 and $250 school fee allowances which we view as an insult to us since we are owed seven month salaries,” Muza said.
He said train drivers were owed an average of $4 000 each in liability pay, which are allowances for the period 2009 and December 2010.
“We want management to give us our salaries in full not paltry fee allowances,” Muza said.
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“We move trains day and night bringing in a lot of money.
“We have also seen an improvement in traffic. Where is the money obtained from the services going if workers are not paid?”
Muza said in December last year, management told workers that the parastatal was given a loan to pay workers’ bonuses and salaries.
However, workers were only given bonuses.
Contacted for comment, NRZ spokesperson Fanuel Masikati confirmed the NRZ owed the workers.
He also admitted the parastatal tried to cushion workers by giving them school fees allowances.
“I can confirm that we are behind in paying workers’ salaries,” Masikati said.
“We started by paying June 2012 salaries and we ask the workers to bear with us since the cash inflows are not impressive. We promise to pay them as usual since you know we have been staggering payments.”
Masikati blamed the poor business environment — especially in Bulawayo where more than 90 firms closed shop last year — for crippling the parastatal’s operations.
