DISGRUNTLED Chitungwiza Municipality workers, who have clocked almost a year without salaries, have dismissed the just-ended International Workers’ Day commemorations as a non-event as organisers have failed to proffer solutions to the country’s economic meltdown.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER
The workers are owed over $4,1 million in unpaid salaries since October last year and have been living from hand-to-mouth as council was only paying them $100 for subsistence.
Workers who spoke on condition of anonymity yesterday told NewsDay that they were now scrapping for a living and have incurred huge debts to sustain their families.
“We are now leaving in debt, and we don’t know for how long this will go on because we don’t even have a date on when we will receive the outstanding salaries,” he said.
Another employee said he spent the day at home because there was nothing to celebrate in his working life.
“I’m struggling just like someone who is out of employment.
So for me, there was no point in celebrating Workers’ Day,” he said.
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The Chitungwiza Residents’ Trust (Chitrest) said it was disappointing that council employees had gone for such a long time without receiving their salaries.
In its solidarity message, Chitrest said it was sad that the municipality, which employs almost 2 000 workers, was now one of the biggest employers in the town after the once viable industrial area went bust due to economic hardships.
Chitungwiza town clerk George Makunde said council had failed to pay the workers because residents have not been paying their bills and owed the local authority over $30 million.
“We owe our employees in excess of $4,1 million. We have no money. Our residents are not paying their bills. We last paid full salaries in October last year,” he said.
