Nicholas Goche, minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, ordered the protesting workers to go back to work within 24 hours or be brought to justice and justify why they had downed tools.
Philip Mutoti, Chitungwiza mayor, told The Zimbabwean that the disgruntled workers had no cause to go on strike, since the local Authority had started collecting encouraging revenue to pay workers’ unpaid salaries before end of the month.
“Following the hiring of Mangwana Debt Collectors by council, council was collecting over $100, 000 per day from defaulting residents, up from an average $25, 000.
“This left the council in a position to raise more than $8 million by July 25 and pay the workers,” said Mutoti, adding that council would have loved to clear all what it owed it’s employees as soon as possible.
The Goche order came at a time when service delivery in the town had collapsed as a result of the job action.
Services at clinics, the graveyard and refuse collection had ground to a halt.
Chitungwiza owes the workers over $11 million in salary arrears.
Goche warned the workers that if they failed to attend the labour court to justify why they should continue with the strike, they faced imprisonment of up to five years.
“Pending determination of this matter, I further direct that the collective job action be terminated immediately and in any case within 24 hours of service of this order,” Goche said.
Rodgers Matsikidze, the council lawyer from Matsikidze and Mucheche, last week filed the court application, arguing that the strike was unjustified and that it should be terminated pending justification.
Negative effects of the strike did not spare the dead, as bereaved families had to dig graves for their departed ones.
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Asi vatungamiri vekanzuru mune utsinye, workers go for months without salaries and recently you retrenched some workers and the directors where seen going with $300 000 cash and workers were paid nuts. only those who had leave days got the money and for thos who had no leave days went home with nothing. asi chii nhai.