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Dr Obert Mpofu

Business Editor
NATIONAL Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) workers yesterday took Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Dr Obert Mpofu, to task over his remarks on Wednesday in which he accused them of frustrating investment for the parastatal through demonstrations.
Dr Mpofu, who was addressing a Chronicle business breakfast meeting at a city hotel, said the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which is set to inject up to $700 million to the ailing firm, was upset to see workers demonstrating over outstanding salaries two weeks ago.

He said the workers’ behaviour was sending a wrong message about the company at a time when the government was trying to unlock funding for its revival.

However, Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Workers Union (Zaru) president Kamurai Moyo said the minister’s remarks were insensitive to the plight of workers who are owed 10 months’ salary.

“To have our minister saying we’re scaring away investors is unfair and we take great exception to that. First of all NRZ workers were never on strike. They were just exercising their constitutional right by demonstrating over unpaid and outstanding salaries,” he said.

“If he felt what we were doing was not good for investors, he should have engaged us as our minister.  Surprisingly we have written several letters to him and his permanent secretary (Munesu Munodawafa) seeking to engage them and got no joy.”

Dr Mpofu yesterday stood by his words saying the workers’ union should not mislead the public and advised them to use proper channels of solving disputes.

“If they want to talk to me, they should not go to the newspaper. They are lying. I’ve held meetings with them and actually volunteered to meet them but was not told anything about their last demonstration.

“We know the people doing this. Some of them were saying they wanted management fired. There is a lot of politics in it and some of them don’t want to see things working for the better. If they see that they start demonstrating,” he said.

Moyo claimed the workers wrote Dr Mpofu a congratulatory message soon after his appointment as Minister of Transport last year but were disappointed that he did not engage them to understand their problems.

“He has never discussed anything with us. We only hear he is solving NRZ issues in newspapers. This is not fair.

“Right now we hear about monies from investors in newspapers and nothing has been communicated to be in the picture,” he claimed.
Moyo said management, workers and the ministry should close ranks and bury their differences in matters of production.

“We’re members of the same family and should update each other on issues of production. We’ve got a challenge with the minister’s statements.  As workers, we’ll never want NRZ to die. Instead we’re eager to see it surviving and going beyond.”

Moyo said the workers were paid salaries for November 2013 last month, adding that despite the challenges, they were trying to engage management and have formed a joint committee to look at cost cutting measures and keep the company afloat.

“We can’t come to a situation where we sabotage NRZ revival like the minister is saying. We can’t be that selfish,” added.

On Wednesday, Dr Mpofu urged patience among NRZ workers saying the government was on the brink of concluding deals to finance NRZ operations.

He assured the nation NRZ’s recovery path was certain given the support pledged by China on railway upgrading and financing of purchasing of locomotives, wagons and other equipment and components.