DESPITE losing a Labour Court case against 18 of its former employees, Zifa is yet to abide by the court’s ruling to pay its former workers what they are owed, three months down the line.
by KEVIN MAPASURE
The ruling was made on September 8 this year and Zifa was ordered to pay a total of $195 818,72 to be shared by the former employees of the association after their contracts were terminated in June last year.
But to date the former workers have not received anything and neither has Zifa appealed against the ruling.
The workers lost their employment after the attempt at dissolving Zifa and the formation the National Football Association failed last year after the High Court threw out an application of insolvency by the football mother body.
When the move was deserted, Zifa only took in five workers while the rest were shut out despite having contracts with the association.
The court learned that the contracts of the rest of the staff were terminated verbally.
The court found that: “The claimants’ contracts of employment were in writing and they were permanent employees. On June 10 2016 they were locked out of the premises and were told to go and see Mr Chimbari, the appointed trustee. They continued providing their service until June 29 2016. Only five employees were called back for work after the 29th of June 2016.”
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Zifa failed to prove that the employees had flouted terms of their contracts and that the association had failed to provide them with work while they were available for work.
Based on the evidence that had been provided, the judge reached the decision that: “It is my view that by refusing the claimants to work at the new premises the 1st respondent (Zifa)repudiated the contracts of employment which were still in existence. It was clearfrom the 1st respondent’s actions that the claimants’ services were no longer required. The claimants’ claim should therefore be paid up to June 2016. As to the manner in which the contracts were terminated, the claimants can go back to the labour officer for a fresh claim.
To that end therefore I order as follows: The 1st respondent be and is hereby ordered to pay $195 818,72 to the claimants within 21 days from the date of this order.”
Zifa were also ordered to pay for the costs of the hearing.
