6 years on: Victims of Zuva ‘judgement’ still uncompensated despite court order
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Courts |
There are concerns that former workers of David Whitehead and Scotford Textiles have not been paid since their retrenchment in 2015.
The employees’ contracts were terminated under the infamous Zuva Judgement which saw thousands of workers fired on three months’ notice without their consent.
Among other rulings that ordered compensation or reinstatement of the workers retrenched improperly, the Supreme Court last year threw out an appeal by Air Zimbabwe challenging a Labour Court ruling reinstating it’s 301 workers who were unlawfully fired through the Zuva Judgement.
Kadoma Central legislator Muchineripi Chinyanganya asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Paul Mavima in Parliament to inform the House when former employees of David Whitehead and Scotford Textiles who were retrenched some decades ago are going to receive their packages.
Mavima said the company was still compiling bank details of the employees who are due to be paid their packages. He added that some of the former employees were, however, not reachable since they left the company six years ago.
“Employees were terminated under the 2015 Zuva Judgment. The matter was referred to a labour officer at our Kadoma Labour Court in terms of Section 93 of the Labour Act [28:01].
“Conciliation was done and the matter is now before the Labour Court for confirmation of the draft ruling made by the labour officer. The adjudicating authority ruled that employees should be paid cash-in-lieu of their leave days and all the outstanding retrenchment packages.
“The company’s Human Resources Manager said he is still compiling bank details of the employees who are due to be paid their packages as some of them are unreachable since they left the company.
“In terms of Section 13 of the Labour Act [28:01], an employer is supposed to comply with the law and honour the termination agreements by paying everything that is due to the employees. As for the Scortford Textile the case is currently not before the Ministry. However, our offices are open for assistance and enquiries,” Mavima said. Nehanda Radio
