More than 2500 diamond mining workers in Marange who lost their jobs during the consolidation of Mines by government last year have demanded compensation for their terminated contracts as a result of government takeover.
In 2016, government announced the takeover of Marange diamond fields through the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company forcing more 2500 workers out of employment.
Although the Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Workers Union (ZDAWU) tried to engage, Mines and Minerals Development Minister, Walter Chidhakwa, no amicable solution was reached and the workers are now demanding full compensation as well as other terminal benefits.
Speaking to 263Chat on the sidelines of the African Mining Vision pillar on Linkages Investments and Diversification hinged on mining, ZDAWU Chairman Cosmas Sunguro said although they have tried to engage the relevant ministries, all their pleas have fallen on deaf ears as no action has been taken to address their grievances.
“We approached the Ministry of mines last years as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to have them resolve this situation but no action has been taken. There has not been any communication from those ministries.
“We are very disappointed by the response that we have been getting from these two government departments but we will not give up in our fight to have the workers compensated for the work they did.
“Our grievances stem from the non-payment of terminal benefits and we have not even got any benefits that are meant to support us as former workers,” said Sunguro.
Most of the dismissed workers did not receive dismissal letters when they were retrenched prompting a dispute between the workers’ union and government.
They were not given retrenchment letters nor were they formally dismissed, 263Chat has learnt.
“We were not served with dismissal letters, theft is if we were dismissed in the first place because as it stands, we don’t know where we stand, whether we are unemployed or not. But we were just told not to report for work since last year,” added Sunguro
He said had they been formally retrenched, they would have negotiated for a retrenchment package from the government.
Most of the workers are now destitutes as they lost their survival means.
Minister Chidhakwa, during his presentation at the seminar, said the matter has to go before the administrative board as it was not pursued fully by the grieving workers.
“Naturally, we have to compensate the workers but the issue has not been pursued fully so it has to go before the administrative board ultimately for decision if there was disagreement. There was some attention given to the communities in that respect,” said Chidhakwa
However, Sunguro downplayed Chidhakwa’s remarks as mere political statements.
“If you look at it there was nowhere written that we are guaranteed that we would go back to work. Mind you, most of these workers were on contract basis and most of them were on six month contract bases which have since expired.
“It is now more than a year since they were retrenched and nothing has been said. We need proper communication, our status whether we are employees or not. If it means the work seized, then we need to get our packages and move on with our lives,” said Sunguro.
Some companies which previously employed most of the workers, tried to give them some retrenchment packages but it was not enough according the workers’ union.
