Trade unions have accused employers of “playing delaying tactics” with some allegedly refusing to comply with the new labour law which stipulates that employees who were dismissed on three months’ notice be paid their terminal benefits retrospectively.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade of Unions president George Nkiwane yesterday said most employers were “in a catch-22 situation over the matter” with some proposing to rehire the workers they had fired following the July 17 Supreme Court ruling.
“It’s a tricky situation honestly speaking, most companies are struggling to survive and some are even contemplating rehiring the affected workers because they have no money to pay them the stated exit packages,” he said.
Nkiwane said most companies were now struggling to pay, with some threatening to shut down.
“They have to pay, when they were dismissing people, they never looked at the moral aspect of their actions and now they are shedding crocodile tears. We are hearing that some are plotting to ignore the law, but we will drag them to the pay point screaming and kicking because they did what they did without remorse. Now they want the suffering workers to have mercy on them — never,” he said.
“So far, we have not heard of any worker who has been paid.”
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After the Supreme Court ruling of July 17 empowering employers to terminate employment contracts on three months’ notice without terminal benefits, over 25 000 workers were dismissed within a month.
Parliament was then called to fast-track the labour law amendment, as the situation was getting out of hand. The august House enacted a provision, which compelled employers to pay fired workers a two-week salary for every year served as a minimum package.
Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe president Jack, Murehwa said most of their members were planning to take the issue to court, challenging the constitutionality of the law in terms of paying the axed workers in retrospect.
“This law is retrogressive and I don’t see it taking this country forward. Most companies are on the verge of closing shop and that is bad for our economy,” he said.
