By Donald Nyarota.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – A workers union representing disgruntled diamond workers has called for sincerity from government in dealing with outstanding issues, including ceding of shares to the workers.
Zimbabwe Diamond Miners Workers Union (ZDMWU) said in a statement the consolidated diamond mining company should consider the welfare of workers as stockholders.
The statement released by ZDMWU secretary general Justice Chinhema, the union calls for 20% shareholding, with 15% reserved for lower management workers, to avoid the firing of workers without benefits.
Chinhema also calls for government to set up a Statutory Instrument, akin to ones used during the land reform, to compel former mining companies to pay over 200 fired workers their dues.
ZDMWU is also appealing for a code of conduct and the setting up of an Insurance and Health Funds for the diamond workers.
“In order to avoid the repeat of this disaster we are pushing for the amendment of the Indigenization Act such that it clearly states definite threshold of shares given to workers. Our position is 20% shares must be reserved for workers with 15% being for non-managerial employees. In order to make employees in the Diamond sector fully benefit we will fight for the creation of the Diamond Insurance Fund and Health Fund that will benefit past, present and future employees.
“We are engaging the new company (ZCDC) for recognition as a Key stockholder in the Diamond Industry and push for formulation of Diamond Sector (CBA) and code of conduct. This will set clear working conditions of employees in the Diamond Industry.
“We are therefore calling upon government to come clear on the issue of how these workers will recover their monies. We cannot have a wait and see situation when people need food and school fees. Government should just order the companies to pay their employees through a statutory instrument, this they can copy from what they did in 2000 when they issued S.I.6 of 2000 that compelled farmers whose farms were gazetted for redistribution to pay packages,” read part of the statement.
Chinhema also threw a salvo at corrupt elements that were in the middle of the rain sacking of the diamonds fields, which saw Zimbabwe losing an estimated 15 billion in revenue, calling for culprits to be brought to book.
He said political power will not hold sway over their demands for justice to prevail against locals who were in partnerships with foreigners to loot the alluvial diamonds in the Marange fields.
“Last but not least we want to state that we will not be silenced by anyone regardless of who you are, thieves must be arrested and sent to jail. Foreign investors who were mining in Chiadzwa and Chimanimani were not alone.
“Government through (ZMDC) had 50% shares and we want to see people who were in the structures with those Foreign Companies accounting for everything that took place in the Diamond Industry,” he said.
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