THE Chitungwiza Residents’ Trust (Chitrest) has thrown its weight behind council workers who downed tools last week and stormed the municipality’s headquarters demanding payment of their outstanding salaries.
SENIOR REPORTER
The workers were owed 14 months’ salaries.
Chitrest in a statement said that the local authority’s failure to meet its salary obligations had contributed to the collapse of service delivery in the dormitory town.
“The total amount owed to the council employees has reached an astronomical figure of about $8 million. This continued failure by the local authority to timeously remunerate its excessive workforce has negatively affected the quality of service delivery rendered to residents,” Chitrest said.
Although the town council branded the job action illegal, workers’ spokesperson Ephraim Katsina said the strike was legal as management had been advised of the looming industrial action well in advance.
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Chitrest said it was unfortunate that the local authority’s management had failed to engage stakeholders such as government, residents and the business community to develop a strategy to clear the huge salary debt.
“The council workers through their union leaders have tried to engage the town management for a long-lasting solution to this issue, but in vain, owing to the management’s incompetence and pompousness,” Chitrest said.
The trust also lambasted council management for dragging residents to court over unpaid bills when it could have applied other cheaper credit control mechanisms.
“It boggles the mind that the same council has failed to pay its employees for so long yet it can afford to pay huge legal costs of fighting residents and ratepayers,” Chitrest said.
Chitrest said it sympathised with the employees who had endured problems including failing to pay their rentals and monthly bills, having their children withdrawn from school for non-payment of fees and starvation.