Halsteads lay off employees

HARDWARE and building supplies giant, Halsteads Express in Bulawayo has reportedly retrenched about 22 workers in the past few months. The retrenched employees allege the company did not give them reasons for termination of contracts despite claiming the two parties had agreed. The exercise, according to the workers, is being done in batches, which has induced panic and anxiety among remaining employees who fear losing their jobs since "the criteria for the retrenchment exercise are not known".

Amongst the retrenched employees are members of the workers' committee. "I was part of the workers' committee but to my surprise I wasn't involved in the negotiations for my package and the other retrenched people," said one of the employees who requested anonymity.

He said all employees were paid all their dues and confirmed that there were no arrears as far as the packages are concerned. "I visited my previous work place and to my surprise, the area that had been left vacant when we were retrenched had been filled," said another former employee.

"I discovered from my former colleagues that the new employees were recruited a day after a retrenchment exercise." However, management professed ignorance about the matter. Dudley Keefer, Halsteads general manager said:

"We haven't retrenched anyone but five or six employees left in March. I don't know where the said retrenched people are coming from." Numerous companies nationwide went on a retrenchment spree last year following a ruling by the Supreme Court that allowed employers to terminate workers contracts after giving three months' notice.