RENCO Mine workers downed tools on Friday last week over a wage dispute.
Zimbabwe Diamond Mineral and Allied Workers Union general-secretary Justice Chinhema said the workers were protesting over delayed salaries and they had decided to adopted a “no work, no pay” strategy to press for their demands.
Renco Mine is a subsidiary of the RioZim Limited Group of Companies, which also owns Empress Nickel Refinery, Cam and Motor Mine and the Dalny Mine in Kadoma.
“Rio Zim has been struggling to pay workers on time. They have not paid June salaries and workers cannot have this anymore. They have school going children, they need to buy food and pay medical bills,” Chinhema said.
“How do they meet these (expenses) when every month they are not getting paid on time? They are producing and even meeting the weekly gold target. So why are they not paying salaries?”
He said government needs to intervene at RioZim.
“They have lied to the government and workers many times. This is too much and has to stop. That's why we were campaigning and will continue campaigning for a provision in the Labour Act that recognises the principle of ‘No pay No work’,” Chinhema said.
Renco Mine general manager Irvine Taurayi Nyamukondiwa declined to comment and referred NewsDay to its corporate communications department.
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“I am not permitted to speak to the Press, kindly contact the head office and speak to our corporate communications office,” Nyamukondiwa said.
Efforts to get comment from the corporate communications department were fruitless.
The company has experienced a recurrence of workers’ strikes since April 1, 2021. In March this year, the workers also went on strike over outstanding salaries.
