Parliament summons Obert Mpofu over NRZ workers' plight

Transport minister Obert Mpofu has been summoned to appear before Parliament over the ongoing industrial action and failure by the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to pay its workers their salaries for several months.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport Dextor Nduna said they had resolved to summon Mpofu next week to explain what the government was doing to resolve the plight of the workers.

After their meeting on Monday, they resolved to invite the minister to explain to them what he is doing to resolve the crisis at NRZ.

"They also want him to tell them what his plans are for the workers who have gone for nine months without salaries," he said.

In February, workers at NRZ downed tools to protest failure by management to pay them salaries for nine months.

They said the parastatal had been paying them amounts ranging between $40 and $80 per month, a mere 20% of their salaries.

The troubled parastatal was currently transporting six million tonnes of goods per annum, out of 80 million tonnes the system was designed for, due to a depressed market and reduced capacity.

In 2013, it moved 3,6 million tonnes of goods against a target of 6 million tonnes. Comparatively, in 1998, the NRZ moved 18 million tonnes.