Workers whose salaries are in grades one and two are the most affected by the 50 percent stipulation as they are taking home a paltry salary of $50 a month.
Sources who spoke to The Zimbabwean said they were pleading with the company to give them exit packages.
“At the moment I am getting $50 which is not sufficient for the upkeep of my family. I have children who are still in school and l don’t know how I will raise their school fees. It would be best if they gave us packages and we could start income generating projects to sustain our families,” said an employee who declined to be named.
A member of the Zimasco Shurugwi workers’ committee said the situation had deteriorated to the extent workers were now begging for food handouts.
“Food relief should come to our mines because we are suffering. The money we are getting is too little because most of the workers were making money from overtime. We do not know our fate at the moment because the letters that we were given in October stated that we would be on compulsory leave until end of 2013,” he said.
However, Zimasco Public Relations Manager, Clara Sadomba, told The Zimbabwean that the measures put in place by the company were meant to save employees from retrenchment.
“Employees were put on leave so as to protect them from retrenchment as jobs are scarce in this economy. Even if employees were to be retrenched, there is no money for the exit packages. People should understand that the world market is depressed and all chrome manufacturing companies in Sourthen Africa have put production on hold,” she said.
She revealed that management had also been affected by the salary slash though medical, funeral and education assistance was still being accessed.
Zimasco has four chromite-ore mining divisions along the Great Dyke. It is the biggest chrome producer in the country and the fifth largest high-carbonated ferro-chrome producer in the world.
Post published in: Business