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Business Reporter
BULAWAYO business executives and labour bodies meet today to deliberate on a range of issues affecting the welfare of workers amid concerns over an increase in termination of contracts as employers downsize operations. The spate of retrenchments has caused fear and anxiety among workers and labour unions while company management cite the biting economic conditions on the back of liquidity constraints.

Stratways Management Consultancy firm is organising the seminar, which is expected to draw representation from different sectors of the economy.

“Recently there has been an increase in the number of termination of employment contracts on notice and that has caused a lot of fear and anger among workers and unions,” said Davies Ndumiso Sibanda, a labour law expert from Stratways who is one of the presenters.

He said while the termination of contracts has created excitement among employers who are intending to downsize, there was a need to appreciate the legality of doing so taking into considering the plight of workers.

“The breakfast seminar will be held on Friday April 24, 2015, at the Holiday Inn. It’ll look at the legal basis on termination of employment contracts on notice,” Sibanda added.

“We’ll also look at why the employers are doing this and look at some of the major decided cases on notice. The termination on notice is not as simple and safe as employers tend to think as evidenced by the different decisions coming from the courts on the subject.”

The seminar comes at a time when the courts are inundated with pending labour disputes.

Economists have recommended a review of labour laws, whose proposed reforms are presently before the Attorney General’s office awaiting the drafting of a bill.

Most companies are struggling to pay workers on time while others owe workers unpaid salaries of more than 12 months.