Workers demand resignation of NRZ managers

Scores of National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) workers took to the streets countrywide today demanding the resignation of their managers.

The workers are owed more than $55 million in back pay and salaries.

The main demonstrations took place in Bulawayo, Harare, Mutare and Gweru.

In Bulawayo, placard waving workers marched from the main railway station to the City Hall car park.

The said the new board led by Alvord Mabhena needed a new management to work with to imrove workers lives.

Addressing them, union leaders said the only problem at the parastatal was a visionless and greedy management.

They said even if government poured millions into the company, the managers would simply continue looting it and there would be no improvement.

"Government is wasting time with grandiose revival plans because the problem with NRZ is myopic management led by Engineer Lewis Mukwada. These people are tired, poor businessmen and greedy looters. Even if millions are poured into the company, they will disappear the same way money has been disappearing. If government is serious, the entire management should go," said one of the demonstrators.

Chanting enough is enough, the workers said: "Soon after independence, it everyone wanted to work at NRZ because it was one of the highest paying companies. Management had destroyed the company to an extent that no one wants to give employees credit. No one wants us to rent their houses and it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure places for our children at schools because everyone knows we cannot pay."

They said no one knew the salaries or perks of the managers but they drove the most expensive cars and their children went to the most expensive schools.

"If the government chooses to close its eyes to the truth, we are appealing to Zimbabweans to put pressure to save us. With new managers on board, this company will not need much to get back on its feet. We are suffering because of managers who do not want to retire," said a demonstrator.

At the beginning of last month, the workers were barred from demonstrating by the police and they had to secure a high court order to take to the streets this time around.

Once the most trusted bulk transporter in the country, NRZ has been reduced to selling scrap metal for survival, with workers going almost a year at half salaries, which do not always come on time.

Its rail infrastructure is run down and train derailments have become the order of the day.

In the latest incident, last week, about 122 passengers cheated death when the Bulawayo-Harare train derailed. The rail infrastructure is so bad that there are sections where engine drivers are instructed not to exceed a speed of 20 km/hr.

Recently, the management unilaterally decided to increase the retirement age for managers to 65 years from 60, a move workers view as "a corrupt way to ensure retired executives continue drawing huge salaries and perks for doing nothing."

The same management in 2010 pushed for reduction of retirement age for workers to 55 years.