Business / Companies
Former Ingwebu workers besiege company premises
19 Apr 2016 at 23:31hrs | Views
CLOSE to 100 former Ingwebu Breweries workers yesterday besieged the company's premises in Bulawayo demanding their retrenchment packages and outstanding salaries backdated to 2009.
The disgruntled placard-wielding group had gathered at the company by 9AM where they sang and chanted slogans denigrating top management for alleged neglect of their plight.
When Business Chronicle arrived at the scene, the former workers were milling around the premises demanding audience with top management.
Some of the placards read, "Ingwebu ayibuyele kuCouncil", "Wafa uBulawayo", "GM ubusela" and "Sifuna imfanelo zethu".
The group leader, Bekezela Mhlanga, said they were owed more than $7 million in backdated pay and retrenchment packages, with the lowest paid worker being owed about $39,000.
He claimed that the workers were forced to take voluntary retrenchment in 2012.
Some had brought bags and blankets threatening to spend nights at the company's premises until they got their monies.
Two women were seen weeping as others tried to comfort them.
Mhlanga said the workers would seek the intervention of Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
"We've written to both VP Mphoko and Kasukuwere while Minister Sandi (Moyo, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo) is aware of the issue. We won't leave this place until Minister Kasukuwere comes," said Mhlanga.
"We're demanding our pension and back pay since 2009- 2012 and packages for retrenchment that was done unlawfully and our gratuity."
Mhlanga said 200 workers were affected.
The workers accused top management of alleged corrupt dealings, which they said should be investigated by the police and the Anti- Corruption Commission.
They claimed top management (names withheld) had allocated themselves strategic beer gardens and bottle stores leaving the company to fall.
"They told us the outlets were making losses but they went on to share the same loss-making entities. Where is the logic in that?" fumed Mhlanga.
However, sales, marketing and corporate affairs manager Prince Nkosana Ndlovu professed ignorance about the claims made by the ex-workers and denied there were any talks with the national leadership over the issue.
"Management has not taken control of any beer gardens. From 2012, management identified the outlets that were not operating viably, and closed them," he said.
"Those that had a chance of being revitalised were franchised out to local business people.
"While the exercise was being done, there was necessity to retrench two managers, and they benefited from Pumula Beer Garden and Happy Valley as their positions were no longer tenable in the new structure.
"These two managers severed their ties with Ingwebu as soon as their retrenchment was completed."
Ndlovu said management was not aware of any outstanding monies owed to former workers.
"They made voluntary applications to be retrenched and their applications were granted. They remained in employment and only left after the last cent had been paid to them in terms of the advertised package, which they had then applied to avail themselves of," he explained.
The disgruntled placard-wielding group had gathered at the company by 9AM where they sang and chanted slogans denigrating top management for alleged neglect of their plight.
When Business Chronicle arrived at the scene, the former workers were milling around the premises demanding audience with top management.
Some of the placards read, "Ingwebu ayibuyele kuCouncil", "Wafa uBulawayo", "GM ubusela" and "Sifuna imfanelo zethu".
The group leader, Bekezela Mhlanga, said they were owed more than $7 million in backdated pay and retrenchment packages, with the lowest paid worker being owed about $39,000.
He claimed that the workers were forced to take voluntary retrenchment in 2012.
Some had brought bags and blankets threatening to spend nights at the company's premises until they got their monies.
Two women were seen weeping as others tried to comfort them.
Mhlanga said the workers would seek the intervention of Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
"We've written to both VP Mphoko and Kasukuwere while Minister Sandi (Moyo, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo) is aware of the issue. We won't leave this place until Minister Kasukuwere comes," said Mhlanga.
"We're demanding our pension and back pay since 2009- 2012 and packages for retrenchment that was done unlawfully and our gratuity."
Mhlanga said 200 workers were affected.
The workers accused top management of alleged corrupt dealings, which they said should be investigated by the police and the Anti- Corruption Commission.
They claimed top management (names withheld) had allocated themselves strategic beer gardens and bottle stores leaving the company to fall.
"They told us the outlets were making losses but they went on to share the same loss-making entities. Where is the logic in that?" fumed Mhlanga.
However, sales, marketing and corporate affairs manager Prince Nkosana Ndlovu professed ignorance about the claims made by the ex-workers and denied there were any talks with the national leadership over the issue.
"Management has not taken control of any beer gardens. From 2012, management identified the outlets that were not operating viably, and closed them," he said.
"Those that had a chance of being revitalised were franchised out to local business people.
"While the exercise was being done, there was necessity to retrench two managers, and they benefited from Pumula Beer Garden and Happy Valley as their positions were no longer tenable in the new structure.
"These two managers severed their ties with Ingwebu as soon as their retrenchment was completed."
Ndlovu said management was not aware of any outstanding monies owed to former workers.
"They made voluntary applications to be retrenched and their applications were granted. They remained in employment and only left after the last cent had been paid to them in terms of the advertised package, which they had then applied to avail themselves of," he explained.
Source - Chronicle
