By Donald Nyarota.
MUTARE, Zimbabwe. (News of The South)- Diamond workers, call Mbada Diamonds on their bluff after it fired 159 demonstrating workers, are seeking conciliation News of the South can reveal.
In a letter addressed to Mbada Diamonds human resources manager Albert Zindi, dated 28 May 2015, Zimbabwe Diamond Miners Workers Union (ZMDMWU) secretary general Justice Chinhema seeking to conciliate on the matter.
The letter is seeking to conciliate on the matter of one Joseph Shumba and 158 others who are owed salaries dating back to September 2014 as well as unfair labour practices.
Read part of the letter, “Zimbabwe Diamond Miners Workers Union has raised the above complaints conciliation on behalf of Mbada Diamond employees.
“We therefore advise that a concilition proceeding over the complaints will be held on Friday 12 June 2015 at 1100 hours at the above Harare offices.
“You are therefore requested to attend this hearing and by copy of this letter, the complainants and /their respresentative in the matter are also invited.”
The workers were fired for allegedly carrying an illegal industrial action against employers sometime in May pending calculation of personal benefits in July.
Mbada, a joint venture between South Africa’s New Reclamation Group-owned Grandwell Holdings and government’s mining investment vehicle Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, served termination letters to 159 workers represented by ZDMWU.
Read part of the termination letters signed by Mbada HR manager Albert Zindi, “Please be advised that the corporate will not be renewing your contract of employment upon its expiry on the 30th of June 2015.
“The corporate hereby undertakes to pay all outstanding payments due to you on a monthly basis spreading over a period of four months through the corporate’s payroll until all such is extinguished in full.”
According to the letter employees will know how much they will get on July 6 when a statement of accounts will be released by management.
Efforts to get hold of Mbada management at the time of going to press were fruitless as they were unreachable.
The workers, who earn an average $250 per month, after their salaries were slashed by 50 percent last June, received between $200 and $400, each, in April ZDMWU said.
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