Workers at Hwange Colliery Company say they are being treated like slaves, accusing the management of running down the company through corruption and massive looting.
The workers narrated their ordeal to the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy saying they are vulnerable to abuse by the management.
“The Hwange Construction act has put away Chapter 28.1 of the labour act which protects us workers from being retrenched or dismissed without notice,” said Hwange workers committee member, Deliverance Moyo.
“We are supposed to co-operate and keep mining when we have no rights, that is what the act is simply saying.”
“We are just slaves of the management because they decide not to pay our salaries and they can fire any one if they feel like it.
“We are constantly under threat from Sheperd Tundiya if we speak our minds. We are no longer sleeping in our homes.
Another committee member, Mika Maseko told the committee that they have gone for five years without regular salaries.
“I am a father of four, sometimes I and my co – workers we get $800 for a whole year while the management get their salaries monthly,” said Maseko
“The situation at Hwange has led to the death of some workers. Recently, a colleague passed away because of High Blood pressure after being denied his salary.”
The workers claimed that the Colliery is not struggling as purported by the management.
“The company is actually making money, but there are some individuals who want to benefit themselves,” Moyo claimed.
“The systematic hiring of incompetent managers who have a reputation of the closure of other mines in their CVs is a challenge to us as workers.
“The management which was Managing BNC and ZIMASCO before their closure respectively was later appointed to manage Hwange Colliery.Whoever is appointing these managers has an agenda.”
