Local beer shortages loom

Delta Beverages Limited has written to the minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Nicholas Goche, pleading with government to stop a pending national strike in a fortnight that will cripple the country's largest brewery's operations and result in local beer shortages.

Last week, Brewing and Distilling Workers Union of Zimbabwe, a labour union representing more than 13 000 workers, announced its intention to go on industrial action from July 1 after a negotiations deadlock on the 2014 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The labour union, which comprises of workers from Delta Beverages, Go Beer, Kwekwe Breweries, Afdis, Ingwe Breweries, Pungwe Beer, among other brewing companies, said it would press ahead with the strike as employers were adamant they were not in a position to award a salary increment this year.

Currently, the lowest paid worker in the brewery sector earns $348 monthly, but the employees were demanding $570 inclusive of allowances with effect from January 2014.

On June 30, Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans lawyers representing Delta Beverages through Brewing and Distilling Employers of Zimbabwe, wrote a letter to Goche applying for a show cause order and seeking his intervention on the salary negotiations stalemate.

"Our client hereby makes application for a show cause order in terms of section 106 of the Labour Act (chapter 28:01) (The Act) to be issued on its employees at Delta Beverages and against Brewing and Distilling Workers Union of Zimbabwe and United Food and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe( UFAWUZ) (umbrella body that represents workers)," read the letter.

"The employees have threatened to engage in an illegal job action which is to commence on July 16. Although it is not immediately clear what percentage of the workforce is willing to participate in this illegal job action, it will, however, affect the operations of our client and bring production to a halt.

"The negotiations failed to secure an agreement and the parties went for conciliation before a labour officer who, however, could not break the deadlock. Accordingly, the Honourable minister's urgent intervention is sought by the way of show cause order against the employees and the Brewing and Distilling Workers Union of Zimbabwe and United Food and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe.

"It is requested that the show cause order should be direct that pending the issuance of a disposal order, the unlawful collective job action be suspended."

However, UFAWUZ immediately wrote a letter dated July 7 to Goche, insisting that workers had the right to go on strike.

"We advise that we are opposed to the issuance of the show cause order on the following grounds: We have not threatened to engage in an unlawful collective job action. We have, instead, given notice as required by section 104 (2) of the Labour Act (chapter 28:01. The employer should not confuse the Act as a threat (as) there is nothing unlawful in giving such a notice," read the letter written by UFAWUZ secretary for administration and planning, Adoniah Mutero.

Goche could not be reached for a comment, but The Zimbabwe Mail understands that the Labour ministry issued a notice for parties to meet soon before a labour officer in Harare for conciliation.