Maravi

Venture workers threaten to down tools

Venture workers threaten to down tools
By George Zulu in Monze
Mon 26 Oct. 2009, 04:00 CAT

VENTURE Communications contract workers have threatened to down tools following non-payment of their salaries for two months. Venture Communications of Botswana has been contracted by Zamtel to put up the fibre optic network cables in Monze and Pemba districts.

In a walk in interview in Monze, workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said they had not been paid for the past two months and that most of their colleagues had been laid off.

They said the company had been promising to pay them but nothing was forthcoming to date.

“Our bosses have been promising to pay us but up to now nothing has come out. This company has been contracted by Zamtel to lay the fiber optic cables and more than 40 casual workers for the two towns were employed to help lay down the cables but if you see the number of workers remaining, it is less than 20... others have stopped because of not getting their salaries. We are not paid, we are made to work for over 12 hours daily and only getting K12,000 a day,” the workers said.

They complained of poor working conditions, saying the site supervisors were not concerned about the welfare of the casual workers.

“We have waited for some time now and have lost patience. What we want is the company directors in Zambia to respond to our call, we need our money we have worked for. If they don’t pay us by next week, we shall down tools and they should not blame us for failing to complete the works on the scheduled time.

They should blame themselves for failing to pay the workers,” they said.
Site supervisors for Monze and Pemba could not comment on the matter as they were reportedly out of the sites.

Labels: MONZE, OPTIC FIBRE, STRIKE

posted by MrK @ 5:48 AM