All council vehicles save for ambulances, refuse collection trucks and a van used by the town engineer, will be disposed of should the authority fail to pay workers the outstanding $198,000 by Thursday.
If the council pays the arrears and saves the vehicles from the auctioneer’s hammer, it will face more woes as lawyers representing the workers want other arrears for 2011-2013, totalling close to $1 million, to be settled.
“We would dispose the vehicles as a last resort, since the council failed to honour an agreed payment plan following a Labour Court Award granted the workers,” said Mugove Mazani, the layer representing the workers.
Highly placed sources at the council said frantic efforts were being made to raise the money. “Workers will be offered residential stands as part payment while development partners for the Hunyani Housing Scheme will be approached for an advance payment to settle the salaries dispute,” said the source.
Marondera has 149 workers and collects an average $150,000 per month from ratepayers against a $260,000 monthly salary bill. As a desperate cost saving measure, Marondera terminated services of over 120 mainly MDC casual workers and slashed salaries.
Following the directive by Ignatius Chombo, Minister for Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, for all local authorities to cancel ratepayers’ debts, resident are no longer paying bills.
Post published in: News