Maravi

Former Zamtel workers threaten to sue management over dues

Former Zamtel workers threaten to sue management over dues
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Thu 02 Sep. 2010, 04:01 CAT

OVER 1,660 former Zamtel workers have threatened to sue management for allegedly failing to honour the agreement for them to receive their terminal benefits within 24 hours of receiving their retrenchment letters.

And the workers have revealed that they had heard disturbing reports from within Zamtel management that they would not be paid their money anytime soon because the ruling MMD wanted to use the same money for its campaigns next year.

The former workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said according to the signed agreement on August 20, Zamtel management was expected to pay the retrenched workers within 24 hours.

The workers said they were deeply worried and feared that their case could end up like that of retrenched workers of the United Bus company of Zambia (UBZ) who have never received their pay to date, while some died without getting paid.

“Our great fear is that Zamtel management may fail to pay us the retrenchment packages because just from the start they have abrogated the terms of the agreement. We agreed that the packages will be paid within 24 hours after receiving the retrenchment letter. It’s two weeks now and they are just telling us stories,” one of the workers complained.

“We are deeply worried and we are contemplating suing them because we don’t trust these people, especially that there is this transition. Any time Lap Green management will take over and we will have nowhere to run to.”

They said the government should not politicise their retrenchment but work towards ensuring that the future of the 1,669 former workers was secured.

They said they feared that they would suffer like other retrenched workers who worked for parastatals that had been privatised or those that had closed shop.
They said the sale of Zamtel was controversially done by the government and it had become clear that there were individuals in the government who wanted to benefit from the sale indirectly and directly.

They said they were not happy that a large number of employees had been retrenched and only a handful were retained.

“They retrenched 75 per cent of the workers. 1,669 out of 2,431 were sent home and they think we are happy to go home. We are not but since they don’t want us, let them pay us our packages so that we go home. As we speak they have seized our medical schemes for the hospitals and our medical cards are now valueless. We are feeling the agony of being unemployed now,” another source said.

The workers said the three months basic pay and repatriation package given to them upon retrenchment in line with the conditions of service was not enough, hence the need for Zamtel management to be sincere and respect the agreement signed with the retrenched workers. Meanwhile, some Zamtel workers complained of lack of a clear pattern being followed in recalling workers.

The workers said some of their colleagues whose last working day was August 30, 2010 surprisingly reported back for work the following day.

“We are sure they have been assured of being re-employed, there is no pattern or clear criteria used to recall people. It’s like it’s random and it begins to appear like it’s based on relationships or allegiance,” said a Kitwe-based Zamtel worker.

Labels: DEMONSTRATION, LABOUR, LAP GREEN, PRIVATISATION, SALARIES, STRIKE, ZAMTEL

posted by MrK @ 3:59 AM