PLANS to resume operations at Vubachikwe Gold Mine in Gwanda are at an advanced stage with the mine management waiting for workers to select a new workers’ committee to ensure that the rights of employees are not undermined.
The mine was closed after workers embarked on an illegal strike and destroyed property at the Duration Gold run mining entity.
“Our last communication to the workers spelt out what we need to go to the negotiating table for an immediate restart and they are aware of the expectations,” said mine manager Mr None Kananji.
“The previous workers committee had withdrawn their services and when they sought to reinstate themselves we said they needed to be re-elected or reinforced by the workers in order for the workout plan that reopens the mine to be agreed, endorsed and commenced with urgency.
“We are waiting for official communication from the workers and their erstwhile representatives. As soon as they have a team in place the workout plan will be commenced and that will be the first day that a payment will be made to all workers as espoused in the workout plan. The sooner they have their house in order the better for us and our families.”
A spokesperson for the mine, Robert Mukondiwa said they hoped workers would regroup with haste.
“We can only assume they haven’t communicated officially because of the festive season break which got people scattered in all directions but the hope is the workers organise as soon as possible. This ensures that key welfare issues are addressed for the sake of us and our children. There are beginning of year obligations like school and college fees as well as post-Christmas financial strain that ought to be addressed.
“Because the first payment will be made on the day of commencement of the workout plan, that has to be done earlier so the children and other innocents are not held to ransom,” said Mukondiwa.
However, there seems to be a sacrificing of the majority by a minority that does not want to accept the faux pas of relinquishing power that the erstwhile committee had made.
“They were not clever to serve a letter that alleged a ‘partial withdrawal of duties’ as that effectively was ceding their mandate. They were given wrong advice and when they wanted to come back the realisation was they could not simply wake up one day and say ‘we are back’ but have to be brought back again by way of re-election,” said a source at the mine.
“The problem is the former committee had one person make a decision that was far from clever and a series of blunders and now a whole community is being held to ransom by the unintelligent decisions of one man. Hopefully, the impasse will be resolved and normalcy will return since management has hinted that they are ready to resume operations as soon as tomorrow,” added the source.
Mukondiwa was non-committal with regards the state of relations between management and the worker’s committee.
“That is water under the bridge. That fight is over and we know both sides lose when bad decisions are made. Shutting down the mine by protesters was not clever, but that is spilt milk. The way forward is to wait for the workers, have them come and regularise their committee and we reopen and pay people what they are owed and their monies going forward.
“Truth be told, it is their money and they were indeed owed. It is their right. But the route taken was misinformed and messed things up for everyone. The way forward is to meet a properly constituted workers committee, sign the workout plan, pay people immediately then get the old lady running again and contributing to the economy in line with the aspirations of the Second Republic and his Excellency President Mnangagwa’s Government,” Mukondiwa added. – The Chronicle
