The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana Hwange Correspondent
THE Government has blocked a move by Hwange Colliery Company to retrench more than 1 000 workers at the company and instead proposed that management cut working hours for workers to two weeks per month. Briefing the new board, management and workers committees on Friday, Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Fred Moyo said the company could not afford to retrench given the state of the company hence Cabinet agreed to have a two-week working arrangement.
“Cabinet has agreed that we can’t have 2 000 workers losing their jobs at this moment so the retrenchment will only be focused on the top hierarchy. So I suggest as management you sit down with the workers and introduce two weeks in, two weeks out programme,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
Around 1 500 workers were set to be retrenched this month as part of the company’s restructuring exercise which was meant to cut the annual wage bill by $15 million.
He said the state of the company was a national issue which had been on the Cabinet’s agenda for sometime, hence action was needed and the company was supposed to adopt a performance culture.
The Government announced a new board early this month led Mr Winston Chitando. Other board members are Mr Valentine Vera, Mrs Ntombizodwa Masuku, Engineer Wenceslaus Kutekatekwa and Mrs Julian Muskwe. The appointment of new board followed the dissolution of the Mr Jemister Chininga-led board.
Deputy Minister Moyo said Cabinet had also agreed that there was a need to further trim the management from 11 to eight officials.
Workers’ committee chairman, Mr Casper Ndlovu said although they welcomed the development as workers representatives there was a need for the new dispensation to move away from boardroom squabbles that had been affecting productivity and resulted in the demise of the once thriving coal mining giant.
“We are happy to hear that but Deputy Minister we want to stress out that there should be no interference between board, management and ministers. That is what has brought this company to its knees. There is a need for a clear separation of roles,” he said.
