News / Local
Minister fails to pay employees for 5 months, company under judicial management
25 Apr 2012 at 03:38hrs | Views
THE Minister of Water Resources Management and Development, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo is alleged to have failed to pay his 235 workers at Mukusi Products, a timber processing company based in Bulawayo, for more than five months.
Although the workers insist that Minister Nkomo owes them about $275 000 for the five months, the company is now under judicial management.
Some of the workers staged a demonstration at the company premises last week in protest against delays in paying them the salaries.
In an interview, a worker who declined to be named for fear of being victimised said he was now failing to pay his children's school fees and rentals.
"I am now struggling to pay my children's school fees and let alone rentals yet they expect us to report to work everyday.
"This is not fair at all, some of us are now being threatened with eviction where we stay," said the worker.
He said ever since Minister Sipepa Nkomo took over the company in August last year, things have turned from bad to worse in terms of payment.
Another worker who also spoke on condition of anonymity concurred with his colleague and said management had promised to pay them when exports were cleared.
According to a document from the Labour Office, which Chronicle is in possession of, the company was supposed to avail $51 272 for half salaries for December and full salaries for March and April.
In May, the company is supposed to avail $55 670, part of which is for the other half salaries for December.
The document goes on to highlight that the company was still committed to paying the wages according to the payment plan but according to the workers, they have not received any payment.
The company was also said to have ordered workers above 65 years to retire without any benefits.
An elderly worker who declined to be identified said he thought it was a ploy not to pay them as management had once said they now wanted to employ young people with at least five Ordinary level subjects.
Contacted for comment Minister Nkomo referred this reporter to the judicial manager, Mr Philip Ndlovu.
"The company is under judicial management, so you have to talk to the judicial manager. The fellow who is the manager is the one who runs the company. He was appointed by the court," said Minister Nkomo.
Minister Nkomo said only the judicial manager could comment on issues to do with the company. Mr Ndlovu refused to comment when contacted. "I am not in a position to talk to the press over this issue," he said.
Although the workers insist that Minister Nkomo owes them about $275 000 for the five months, the company is now under judicial management.
Some of the workers staged a demonstration at the company premises last week in protest against delays in paying them the salaries.
In an interview, a worker who declined to be named for fear of being victimised said he was now failing to pay his children's school fees and rentals.
"I am now struggling to pay my children's school fees and let alone rentals yet they expect us to report to work everyday.
"This is not fair at all, some of us are now being threatened with eviction where we stay," said the worker.
He said ever since Minister Sipepa Nkomo took over the company in August last year, things have turned from bad to worse in terms of payment.
Another worker who also spoke on condition of anonymity concurred with his colleague and said management had promised to pay them when exports were cleared.
According to a document from the Labour Office, which Chronicle is in possession of, the company was supposed to avail $51 272 for half salaries for December and full salaries for March and April.
In May, the company is supposed to avail $55 670, part of which is for the other half salaries for December.
The document goes on to highlight that the company was still committed to paying the wages according to the payment plan but according to the workers, they have not received any payment.
The company was also said to have ordered workers above 65 years to retire without any benefits.
An elderly worker who declined to be identified said he thought it was a ploy not to pay them as management had once said they now wanted to employ young people with at least five Ordinary level subjects.
Contacted for comment Minister Nkomo referred this reporter to the judicial manager, Mr Philip Ndlovu.
"The company is under judicial management, so you have to talk to the judicial manager. The fellow who is the manager is the one who runs the company. He was appointed by the court," said Minister Nkomo.
Minister Nkomo said only the judicial manager could comment on issues to do with the company. Mr Ndlovu refused to comment when contacted. "I am not in a position to talk to the press over this issue," he said.
Source - TC
