ZESA employees suspended over salary fight
By Alex Bell
17 July 2012
More than 130 employees at the national power supply authority ZESA, have
been suspended, after threatening to strike last week over the utility’s
failure to award pay rises.
The Zimbabwe Energy Workers’ Union (ZEWU) a week ago issued an ultimatum to
ZESA and other private players, to either meet their demands or face a
nationwide strike. The workers want the salary increase that was meant to be
awarded to them after a legal dispute in June.
ZEWU President Angeline Chitambo told journalists in Harare last week the
Union grouping had resolved to embark on the strike, accusing ZESA chief
executive Josh Chifamba of not honouring an arbitration order from last
month. The order promised a new salary structure would be awarded to the
energy sector on June 18th.
But instead of honouring the order, ZESA has suspended 132 employees without
pay or benefits. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), which
voiced solidarity with the energy workers, said: “Such a primitive and
barbaric way of handling labour disputes, reminiscent of the colonial era,
must be condemned with the contempt it deserves. We want to reiterate that
these workers have a legitimate expectation which must be respected both as
citizens and workers,” the PTUZ said.