BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) workers yesterday downed tools citing incapacitation.
The workers demanded a living wage based on the poverty datum line which is pegged at $20 000.
The disgruntled workers said their job action would continue until their salaries issue had been resolved.
Zimbabwe Urban Councils Workers’ Union Bulawayo branch chairperson Ambrose Sibindi confirmed the strike.
“BCC employees are hungry, frustrated, depressed and are unable to fend for themselves and their families due to poor salaries. As such, workers have decided not to report to work starting from January 13 due to incapacitation,” Sibindi said.
“Until our demands of improved remuneration are addressed, we will not be going to work. The supplementary budget has since been approved by the central government, but BCC employees were shocked when they heard that there will not be any salary increments,” Sibindi said, adding that BCC workers were living from hand-to-mouth and would continue to demand better pay.
“Workers are tired of walking to and from work for nothing. Workers have collectively decided not to report for duty as from January 13 due to incapacitation. The move is indefinite.
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“The employer has been notified of the workers position. As workers, we will stand together until our issue is resolved. Up to now, we have not yet received our December salaries and that just shows the arrogance on the part of the BCC leadership.”
However, Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni told Southern Eye that he was not aware of the strike.
“I am not aware of the issue,” he said.
Last year, council workers staged a sit-in at their work stations protesting delay in the payment of November salaries and poor remuneration.
The council workers claimed that they were being paid a basic salary of less than $2 000 at a time the poverty datum line is pegged at $20 000.
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