Striking Kawambwa Tea workers demand salaries before resuming work

Striking Kawambwa Tea workers demand salaries before resuming work
By Kabanda Chulu
Mon 19 Dec. 2011, 13:58 CAT

WORKERS at Kawambwa Tea Company, who downed tools last October after Zesco disconnected power to the factory, have vowed never to return to work until management settles the 40 months salary arrears amounting to K1.3 billion.

And the Luena Farm Block in Kawambwa risked becoming a ‘non-starter' national project following government's inconsistency in funding the implementation of developmental projects.

The over 400 workers who gathered at the tea estate and factory on Saturday, told finance deputy minister Alfreda Mwamba that government should repossess the company or find another investor who should meet people's aspirations.

Since 2002, Kawambwa Tea Company has been owned by Kulmul Holdings of Zimbabwe, but the workers said the tea estate had been turned into a ‘modern day slave trade centre'.

"We have suffered a lot and these people don't mean well. They don't provide us with protective clothing and we have not been paid for 39 months. So we don't want to work with them anymore, let them pay us our money and bring in fellow Zimbabweans," Mathews Chewe said on behalf of the workers.

He said the investor's failure to pay the K90.6 million Zesco bills had resulted in disconnection of electricity supply to the entire plant and estate area including housing units.

"We walk 35 kilometers to grind maize because there is no electricity to power our hammer mills. We have sold our bicycles in order to meet basic needs and our children cannot go to school because we have no money and we don't have access to clean water since boreholes are not working," said Chewe.

Earlier, Kawambwa District Commissioner Mwita Kasengele said the company had been experiencing serious challenges that resulted in the entity to be placed on receivership.

"But management went to court and obtained an injunction which allowed the investors to continue running operations but ordered them to pay workers within five months beginning last November," Kasengele said.

Kasengele also said that very little had been done in implementation of activities in the Luena Farm Block.

"We have never received substantial amounts to make big impact and the little funding (K500 million) received went towards surveying, planning and sensitisation activities," he said.

Mwamba assured that government would talk to Zesco to find a solution especially that households of people were affected.

"We are constrained to talk about this matter since it is in court but government shall do everything possible to change people's livelihoods and it is unacceptable for people to stay for many months without being paid," said Mwamba.

"I am going to explain your plight to my Minister and the President and soon government will act since we are a working administration."