Zimpapers Logo

Labour matters Davies Ndumiso Sibanda
ONE of the most difficult places to manage labour relations is the mining industry where the employer manages almost the complete life of a worker including his family.

John works for a mine as a storeman. He lives in the mine compound where the mine allocated him a four roomed house where he lives with his wife, two children and a nephew.

One Sunday, John beat up his wife over suspicion that she was having an inappropriate relationship with a neighbour who is also John’s workmate. John was taken through the disciplinary process where he argued that the matter was a domestic matter and had nothing to do with the employer.

The employer rejected John’s argument on grounds that John lived in a compound and in a house owned by the employer, thus the employer had a duty to protect all those who live in the compound and houses provided by the employer. He was dismissed from employment and his wife withdrew charges at the police station after John begged her to do so given that they were both now likely to be leaving the mine if the appeal failed.

There are many cases that are similar to John’s case and many of them are a result of mines’ inability to put in place an effective mechanism for managing workers after work given that there is a very thin line between private life in the compound and continued regulation by the employer given that the employer has a duty to care for those living in its houses.

The issues that have to be managed are so many and mines should have a deliberate policy to deal with them if the mine is to remain stable and avoid having community relations issues impacting negatively on the mine.

There are many sad cases that have been reported where spouses of employees and their children have interfered with mine operations by picketing at the entrance of mines barring employees from going to work, destroying and damaging mine property and in worst cases threatening the lives of managerial employees. This explains why modern mines have created models that do not provide accommodation but transport labour from nearby towns and villages to and from work.

Some of the challenges include, workers who were not prepared to leave work at retirement and once retired they demand to stay in the organisation’s houses permanently.

In some instances, they engage pressure groups to support their cause. Some of the areas of conflict include non-payment of wages/delayed wages, schooling related matters provisions of places of worship, clinic related matters, provision of ambulances, funeral assistance, personal loans from the employer, provision of beer halls, availing a bus for shopping on paydays, staff purchases on mine store, purchase of scrap, allocation of houses, provision of light and water, various club facilities, accommodation of political party activities, recruitment matters, power struggles between workers committee and community leaders.

There are also anti-social matters that have to be dealt with that include sex scandals, prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse, witchcraft.

All these matters could make a complete article to read as they are all complex requiring clear policies and procedures if the mine is to run smoothly. The less the organisation spends in terms of time on these issues, the higher the chances of having a “mini Marikana” at the mine as the workers tend to create very powerful community structures through churches, clubs and political parties.

What makes it more complex is that some of these pressure groups are linked to powerful external forces that could easily interfere with management’s right to manage and taking complete charge of workers lives, thus affecting productivity negatively.

In conclusion, despite the complexities of managing off-work labour relations matters, it is important for the employer to put in place policies and procedures and communicate them to all employees and their families.

• Davies Ndumiso Sibanda can be contacted on: email: [email protected] Oor cell no: 0772 375 235