Bata suspends 17 workers

Bata Shoe Company, has moved to increase business with plans to expand its associated business units

Lovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
BATA Shoe Company has suspended 17 workers including 10 workers committee members for leading an industrial action to force the country’s biggest shoe manufacturer to pay them promised bonuses and increase their allowances.

About 800 workers have been staging demonstrations during tea breaks in an attempt to force management to review upwards their housing and transport allowances.

They are also demanding bonus payments which they claim they were told would be paid last January.

Seven workers were suspended on Monday, while 10 workers committee representatives were suspended for 14 days without pay for alleged sabotage, among other allegations, on Thursday last week .

Notices of suspension handed to the affected workers in possession of The Chronicle said the 17 employees had been suspended pending investigations.

“You are hereby notified that you have been suspended for a period of 14 days without pay with effect from July 23, 2015 in order that the investigation of an offence concerning, (1) active obstruction, (2) intimidation or threatening behaviour and (3) sabotage is carried out,” reads part of the suspension notices.

Workers committee chairperson Willard Tarupuwa, who is one of the affected employees, accused management of acting in bad faith.

He said they would appeal to the Ministry of Labour and Social Services against the suspensions.

“We’re surprised that management is treating us this way after we agreed that we’ll come to the negotiating table following the ruling by the conciliator. We’ve already approached Labour officers to seek recourse as we deem the suspensions illegal,” said Tarupuwa.

Efforts to get a comment from Bata Shoe Company managing director Ronjoy Sengputa were futile while David Zashura, the company lawyer, was said to be out of office.

The suspension of the workers comes at a time when the Supreme Court has ruled that the payment of housing, educational and other allowances is not a right to workers and employees are not obliged to pay them unless there is an agreement binding on the parties to that effect.

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