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Senior Business Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Miners Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has implored the Gwanda-based Vubachikwe Mine management to pay all outstanding salaries and allowances to workers before the resumption of operations.
Operations at the mine were suspended in November last year after workers embarked on an illegal strike and destroyed property at the Duration Gold-run mining entity.

In a statement dated January 9, addressed to management, ZDAMWU alleged that delays in paying salaries was an indication that the mining firm is in financial distress.

Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Miners Workers Union

“The current situation points to lack of strategic direction and we now have the view that the failure to pay salaries on time and other obligations are due to financial mismanagement, and lack of proper management,” reads part of the statement.

ZDAMWU said it was under instruction to demand that management should, within seven days, have “all outstanding salaries paid in full” to everyone owed within seven days of receipt of this letter and that “2022 back pays and all allowances will be paid in full at once by the last day of January 2023”.

Workers have also demanded that Vubachikwe Mine through its shareholders make a pledge that going forward all salaries will be paid in full at the end of every month, adding that financial re-capitalisation be made so as to secure jobs of current workers.

The union said failure by management to address their grievances within given timelines or choosing to ignore, they are under instructions to immediately consider the process of corporate rescue.

“As you may appreciate, corporate rescue is meant to resurrect failing entities. In our view, we should not wait until another mine collapses, and jobs lost but diligence requires that we act now,” they said.

Corporate rescue proceedings are focused on bringing relief to financially distressed entities. Business rescue proceedings may be commenced either voluntarily or by virtue of a court order.

Contacted for comment, mine spokesperson, Mr Robert Mukondiwa, said the mine’s position has not shifted in that the resumption of operations rests with workers selecting a new workers’ committee.

“Our position is well known to the workers in that they should select an all-encompassing representation in the form of a workers committee,” he said briefly.

Last week, mine manager Mr None Kananji told the Chronicle that management is waiting for official communication from the workers on workers union elections.

“As soon as they have a team in place the workout plan will be commenced and that will be the first day that payment will be made to all workers as espoused in the workout plan. The sooner they have their house in order the better for us and our families.”