News / National
Record 1 000 council to attend court session
17 Jan 2016 at 02:44hrs | Views
GWERU City Council's 1 286 workers as set to make judicial history in Zimbabwe as they have vowed to down tools to attend a court session.
The local authority dragged its employees to court over a strike they embarked on last year over non-payment of salaries and other grievances.
The case is being heard on Monday.
Council approached the Labour Court seeking the court to declare the industrial action which the workers embarked on in April last year as unlawful. The local authority's workers downed tools demanding payment of their salary arrears, supply of protective clothing and corruption by councillors.
The council in its application gleaned by this publication cited the chairperson of the workers' union, Mr Paul Moyana and 1 286 workers.
Moyana said all the workers have decided they will down tools and attend the court proceedings.
"All of us are going to attend the court session. This will definitely put Gweru on a stand still. We are disturbed that the council has the money to engage lawyers to just buy time instead of engaging workers and come up with a payment plan. They are wasting resources while workers are suffering," said Moyana.
He said they have already notified the Zanu-PF leadership in Gweru, police and other security agents of the workers' intention.
"The council has engaged lawyers but as workers we have no representatives as our unions were rendered dysfunctional because of politics so each one of us has to go to court and represent themselves in this application. What council has done will bring business in the city to a halt," he said.
The absence of the workers will likely affect essential service delivery at council clinics, water and sewer departments, refuse collection among others which will have a strong bearing on residents.
The local authority dragged its employees to court over a strike they embarked on last year over non-payment of salaries and other grievances.
The case is being heard on Monday.
Council approached the Labour Court seeking the court to declare the industrial action which the workers embarked on in April last year as unlawful. The local authority's workers downed tools demanding payment of their salary arrears, supply of protective clothing and corruption by councillors.
The council in its application gleaned by this publication cited the chairperson of the workers' union, Mr Paul Moyana and 1 286 workers.
Moyana said all the workers have decided they will down tools and attend the court proceedings.
"All of us are going to attend the court session. This will definitely put Gweru on a stand still. We are disturbed that the council has the money to engage lawyers to just buy time instead of engaging workers and come up with a payment plan. They are wasting resources while workers are suffering," said Moyana.
He said they have already notified the Zanu-PF leadership in Gweru, police and other security agents of the workers' intention.
"The council has engaged lawyers but as workers we have no representatives as our unions were rendered dysfunctional because of politics so each one of us has to go to court and represent themselves in this application. What council has done will bring business in the city to a halt," he said.
The absence of the workers will likely affect essential service delivery at council clinics, water and sewer departments, refuse collection among others which will have a strong bearing on residents.
Source - Sunday News
