Hwange mine workers down tools

Published: 28 August 2013

Hwange Colliery Company mine workers went on strike on Monday over unpaid salaries.

Jemister Chininga, the company's acting managing director, yesterday confirmed that the employees, who claim they are owed 5 months' salaries, had downed tools.

Some of the striking employees said they will not report for duty until they get their salaries.

They said industrial action was the best method to take, maybe that way the company would honour their demands.

The workers said life had become tougher for them as they had exhausted all of their financial resources.

The colliery staffers also said they had begun selling some of their property in order to stay afloat.

When contacted for comment, HCCL corporate communications manager, Mr Burzil Dube, was not in office, as the lady who answered the phone said he was out of town on business and he had no mobile phone.

HCCL has been facing this problem for some time now because last time in April 520 workers were suspended over salary disputes and alleged breach of the company's code of conduct.

The workers went on strike over outstanding employee share option schemes which have not been honoured to them by the company.

Last week, a stater run weekly reported the company had received new mine machinery worth over $12 million from China in a development that is set to boost coal production by almost double from about 250 000 tonnes to 400 000 tonnes per month.

The machinery that was said to delivered last week Tuesday, included five 100-tonne front-end loaders to ferry coal from the company's open cast mine to the processing plant, excavators and cranes.

- dailynews

Tags: Hwange,