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NewsDay

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Zinara rehires fired employees

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The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has reinstated hundreds of its workers fired against the backdrop of the July 17, 2015 Supreme Court ruling allowing companies to dismiss employees on three months’ notice, NewsDay has learnt.

The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has reinstated hundreds of its workers fired against the backdrop of the July 17, 2015 Supreme Court ruling allowing companies to dismiss employees on three months’ notice, NewsDay has learnt.

BY MOSES MATENGA

This followed a directive by Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Joram Gumbo ordering three parastatals under his ministry — Zinara, CMED (Private) Limited and Civil Aviation Authority (CAAZ) — to immediately reinstate all the workers fired on three months’ notice last year, saying the employees’ contracts were terminated unprocedurally.

Zinara last August reportedly fired nine managers and more than 300 low-level workers on three months’ notice.

Yesterday, Gumbo told NewsDay that a lot of issues had been considered before he came up with the decision to reinstate the affected workers.

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“Zinara stopped 51 people last year and it emerged that there is need to employ 100 because of the new tollgates (being opened up) and I asked them that it will be better to consider people stopped last year. You can see the logic. It’s just being considerate and I think they are doing that as a board, then at the same time, employ others,” he said.

Gumbo added: “I am happy that we are creating employment in line with our economic blueprint. About CMED, the MD (managing director Davison Mhaka) is back at work on condition that he was acquitted by a tribunal, set up by the board itself. They found out he did not steal the money and the logical thing is to bring him back and he must assist to find the money.

“CAAZ did that last year, like in the case of managers there; you can’t run an institution without managers. They relieved managers of their duties and replaced them with less qualified people.”

He said it was illogical for CMED to fire employees and replace them with contract workers on the same salary levels.

“Regarding those dismissed, it’s not a question of Gumbo bringing back people, but being professional and doing things the right way. That is all I am trying to do. I am not worried about people being fired, but the right things being done. I personally won’t fire someone because I hate them and I will bring back people, not because I like them, but because I want things done the right way.”