Removal of ZCTU representative from the NSSA Board irks workers

The removal of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) representative from the NSSA Board has reportedly irked workers.

ZCTU Secretary General Japhet Moyo said they have been and continuously receive inquiries regarding the removal of ZCTU representative from the NSSA Board.

He said the facts are that both the organisation and their representative were informed about the unceremonious removal of their representative; that the removal was done without due process; that neither of they was advised of the misconduct or allegations before the purported removal.

"What has been proffered as the reason for such action is that our representative shared confidential information with the organisation or constituency he represents. However no evidence has been tendered on what he shared and what is deemed confidential," he said.

"What organised labour has persistently raised in the Board through our representative is NSSA's investment ventures and how secure they are. These include but not limited to Telecel, Met Bank, Cold Storage Commission, NBS. Because these matters are in the public domain we have made our position known that the decisions were made without due diligence reports and the risk factors are high especially when advancing loans to banks already under a scheme of creditors."

He said there are no reports on the exposure ratings and those senior workers who refused to be influenced in making that appraisal were asked to leave.

"Besides investments decisions, we have also sought explanation regarding the indiscriminate retrenchment and hiring of personnel, funding of the Chairman's cost when coming to attend NSSA business, the budgeting matters and allowances being paid to Board members," he said.

"At one of the stakeholders' engagement meetings, the Chairman showed uneasiness with our line of questioning, even when all issues we were raising were emanating from his report. Our conclusion on this saga is that NSSA is not run by contributors through their representatives in the Board, but a hidden hand through the Chairman. However, we are not going to allow who ever is behind all this to get away with murder."

He said all their options remain on the table, including petitioning Parliament to amend the Act which gives the Minister unfettered powers not only to appoint and removes our representatives but restrict her powers in interfering in administration matters.

"We will push for the amendment of the Act so that the appointment of the Chairman become the responsibility of the TNF to avoid a situation where relatives are appointed, and entities associated with relatives are given priority to access money from NSSA without any due diligence reports," he said.

"Whether we are in or out of that Board of spineless individuals, we will still raise our issues without fear or favour. We have now asked our sources in and outside the Board to make available all the material which can assist us mount both political and legal challenge so that we claim our space in the running of the Authority. We are following all the leads which will free the Authority from being run as a family business."