Paawuz, Gapwuz fight over workers’ salaries

The Progressive Agriculture and Allied Industries Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Paawuz) and General Agriculture and Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Gapwuz) are engaged in a nasty war over the poor conditions of workers.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

Paawuz general secretary, Raymond Sixpence told NewsDay that the National Employment Council (NEC) for agriculture and Gapwuz were allegedly conniving with employers to pay workers a paltry $72 a month.

“Gapwuz, which is the only union negotiating for workers’ salaries, is sabotaging workers. The least paid worker in the agriculture sector is getting $72 per month and this is unsustainable. This is despite the fact that farmers are making good money out of tobacco. This is not fair at all. Workers are still living in the Rhodesian era,” he said.

“How can workers survive on $72 per month? Employees are just working for their stomach, which is not good. They are conniving with the employers to impoverish workers.”

Sixpence said some Chinese farmers were paying workers $32 monthly, while others were not paying anything at all.

The farm workers’ wages are way below the poverty datum line, which is around $538 per month.

However, Gapwuz deputy general secretary, Austin Muswere, said Paawuz was bogus and had no right to represent workers.

“These guys are not even registered or recognised and they don’t have the mandate to speak on behalf of workers in the agriculture sector. Negotiations were done at national level between the employers and workers’ unions. There is no one to blame in the future. They are just going around stealing money from workers,” he said.

Muswere said the wages were negotiated based on how the economy was performing.

Documents provided to NewsDay show that Paawuz was registered on September 19, 2016.

The union even sought admission into the NEC to negotiate for wage increase and allowances, without success.

“I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 24, 2017, in which you highlighted above [admission into council, wage increase and allowances]. The issue of admission into council is a constitutional process and it takes time. Consultations are being made with current membership and as discussed on several occasion, the council is looking into it,” NEC agriculture finance and administration manager, a Madyausiku wrote on March 27 to Paawuz.

“We do have a number of employer and employee organisations, who actually applied and as such, the council is looking into it with due diligence. Negotiations for general agriculture sector and allowances is under discussion. We will notify of the outcome once concluded”.

NEC agriculture chief executive officer, Simon Jera, refused to speak to NewsDay over the matter.

Commercial Farmers’ Union president, Ben Purcell Gilpin said negotiations on salaries were underway and a meeting would be held today.

“Hopefully, something will come up. Viability in the industry is a challenge. Yes, we had a good season, but it has not improved. It’s not only workers who are feeling the pinch, also the employers. We have challenges of cash also,” he said.