The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THE Government has honoured its commitment to pay retrenched Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (Zisco) workers their outstanding salaries backdated to 2009 as well as their packages.
Zisco workers have for the past five months been receiving their outstanding salary arrears monthly from Government after an agreement was reached to pay the outstanding salaries in tranches.
Ex-Zisco workers’ union chairperson Mr Benedict Moyo confirmed that they were now receiving their salaries monthly following the signing of the agreement.
“We are happy that the Government has honoured its commitment to pay workers their salaries and we remain optimistic that the company will reopen soon and create employment,” he said.
Last year Deputy Sheriff of the High Court attached vehicles, machinery and other movable property worth thousands of dollars from the giant iron and steel manufacturing company following an execution order granted by the High Court after the workers dragged the company to court.
Zisco’s former employees, who were represented by Matsikidze-Mucheche and Partners Legal Practitioners, claimed they were being owed more than $60 million in unpaid salaries, dating back to 2009.
Redcliff Mayor Councillor Fred Kapuya said the former workers were now receiving their outstanding salaries every month.
“I can confirm that former Zisco employees have started getting their outstanding salaries. They are receiving monthly salaries. As the local authority we are happy because now the former employees are able to pay their water bills,” he said.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that the steel giant had relieved more than 1 500 workers of their duties on three months’ notice.
Government and Zisco workers have been at loggerheads with the workers demanding that Government follows proper procedures of terminating contracts as stipulated by the Labour Act and also emphasised that there was a need for the Government to pay their outstanding salaries before the workers were offloaded.
