PARLIAMENT yesterday challenged the ministries of Transport and Infrastructural Development, State Enterprises and Parastatals and Labour and Social Welfare to look into the plight of National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) employees who have gone for eight months without pay.
Report by Veneranda Langa
Bulawayo South MP Eddie Cross (MDC-T) raised the issue in the House of Assembly, saying the financially troubled parastatal owed $46 million in unpaid salaries to its workers who were now wallowing in poverty.
“The railway workers have not been paid for eight months and NRZ owes them $46 million in salary arrears. Is it government policy not to pay workers?” queried Cross.
Labour and Social Welfare minister Paurina Mpariwa said it was not government’s policy not to pay employees, adding this was in contravention of the Labour Act. “The question touches three ministries — Transport and Infrastructural Development, State Enterprises and Parastatals and my ministry — and, of course, it is not government policy not to pay workers and it is not in the provisions of the Labour Act that I administer,” Mpariwa said.
She told the House that two months ago, several meetings were held with relevant trade unions, employers and the Prime Minister’s Office as well as government ministries to look into the matter.
