The strike started on April 1, 2022 and has been dragging
on since then.
Production at the 80kg-gold a month mine which is owned by
RioZim has come to a virtual standstill as the estimated 1 800 workers come to
work in the morning, sing revolutionary songs, demonstrate and dismiss at 2pm.
Some of the workers’ grievances include late payment of
salaries and management’s alleged lavish lifestyles amid workers’ wages that
are below the poverty datum line.
They also complained against poor safety conditions at the
mine including the lack of protective clothing like safety shoes. They also
said equipment including shovels and ladders are in a bad state.
Renco general manager Tsanangurai Dube was not at the mine
when a Mirror crew paid a visit on Tuesday last week. He later refused to
comment and switched off his mobile when contacted by The Mirror.
“No comment,” said Dube before switching off his phone. He
has not been reachable since then.
The workers also passed a vote of no confidence in their
workers’ committee which they accused of working in cohorts with management.
The new workers’ spokesperson, Brighton Chikanya confirmed
the developments at the mine.
“We were given pay slips for last year’s bonus but until
now the money has not been paid and we believe the money was put to some other
use by managers,” Chikanya said.
He said it was painful that workers toil day and night to
produce around 80kgs of gold a month only to receive paltry salaries.
“As workers we know that the company is making a lot of
money. We produce 80kgs of gold a month but they fail to pay our paltry
salaries on time. The company has the capacity to pay but the problem is that
managers here are insensitive to the plight of fellow human beings,” Chikanya
said. Masvingo Mirror
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