Close to 400 former Grain Marketing Board (GMB) workers have maintained vigil for almost a week at the parastatal’s offices in Harare, demanding payment for 10 months’ salary arrears.
By Phyllis Mbanje
Despite the rain, the ex-employees, including women with babies from across the country, have vowed to stay put until they are paid their dues.
“We have been here since Tuesday and we are not going anywhere until we have been paid. How can we go back home to our families with no money?” GMB workers’ union chairperson Stephen Machaya said.
The workers, who were dismissed on three months’ notices last year, once approached the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare earlier this year seeking to recover their unpaid salaries before their dismissal as well as terminal benefits.
“We have no food. The company has denied us access to water and ablution facilities, but some kind neighbours have given us a tent and some water,” Machaya said.
Women with babies could be seen sitting under the tent, which offers no real protection from a heavy storm.
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Remnants of a fire, which is used to warm up the workers during the night, were visible a few metres from the gate.
“We have little babies who will most likely catch a cold or worse, but what choice do we have?” one woman, only identified as Melody, said.
Looking despondent and tired, some of the workers lounged against the walls opposite the GMB offices, but despite the hunger and uncomfortable environment, no one seemed to give up.
“We spoke to a task team despatched by management, led by one Muzambi. They told us that the company had no money yet to give us,” a workers’ committee member, Tony Mwanza, said.
“We approached the board chairperson, but he referred us back to the management, which is still sticking to its old position,” Mwanza said.
The workers were also unhappy that the company was seeking to make them pay for staying in company houses.
“They said they would start charging us for rent at commercial rates. That is unfair because they owe us our money,” Machaya said.
Last year, they went to the Labour Court and the issue is now at the conciliation stage, with GMB proposing to settle dues over six years.
At least 1 200 workers at the parastatal were dismissed from their jobs on three months’ notice last year following the July 17 Supreme Court ruling.
Efforts to get a comment from GMB public relations manager Muriel Zemura were fruitless.
