Zimpapers Logo

Chief Justice Chidyausiku

Companies seem to have ignored the government’s appeal for them to exercise maximum restraint in terminating workers’ contracts. Since the Supreme Court ruling on July 17 which says companies could terminate workers’ contracts anytime by giving them three months notice, more than 6,000 workers have since lost their jobs.

When the government realised that the ruling had opened a “floodgate” of termination of employment on notice, it appealed to companies to exercise maximum restraint but this seems to have fallen on deaf ears as companies continue to terminate workers’ contracts on notice.

The Supreme Court ruling stated that companies could terminate the workers’ contracts without paying them severance packages. Companies are therefore taking advantage of this ruling to dismiss workers who are now leaving empty handed. In most cases, workers that are being dismissed are those that have served the companies for many years.

Public Service, Labour and Social Services Minister Prisca Mupfumira said the government last Thursday resolved to amend the Labour Act expeditiously to stem the inconsistencies in the labour market which have seen companies sacking employees willy-nilly based on the Supreme Court ruling.

Many companies, it seems, want to take advantage of this window before the Labour Act is amended to get rid of what they consider to be excess manpower, hence the increasing number of companies terminating contracts on notice. This has prompted trade unions to appeal to the President, Cde Robert Mugabe, to intervene and stop this madness.

Given the rate at which workers are being fired, thousands will be on the streets by the time the Labour Act is amended. Companies that have so far dismissed workers taking advantage of the Supreme Court ruling include Agrifoods, Mike Appel, Farm and City Centre, Highveld Seeds, Daily News, Sino Zimbabwe, Aviation Ground Services, Econet, Zimoco, Steward Bank, TN Asset management, TN Harlequin, Pelhams and Lake Harvest.

We totally agree with the trade unions that the executive should intervene and stop the termination of workers’ contracts on notice while the Labour Act is being amended. We have no reason to doubt the hand of the enemy given what is happening at the companies. Managers of many of these companies want to destabilise the country by causing unrest in the labour market.

We have already alluded to the fact that many of the workers being dismissed gave many years of loyal service to these companies which are what they are because of their sweat. It is therefore insensitive for management to ride on the Supreme Court ruling to dismiss these workers without packages.

The government should be wary of such managers who could be having a political agenda. The workers that are being dismissed on just three months’ notice have families to fend for, mortgages to pay and other financial commitments.

We want to once again implore the executive to find a way of stopping this madness as we await amendment of the Labour Act.