THE Zimbabwe Diamond Miners Workers’ Union (ZDMWU) has dragged the Chinese-owned Detroop Mine near Chinhoyi to the National Employment Council (NEC) over its alleged abuse of employees.
Source: Diamond mine workers sue Chinese employer over ‘abuse’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 15, 2016
By Nhau Mangirazi
The labour case has been set for hearing on November 10, with ZDMWU principal officer, Sam Makonde, to represent the aggrieved workers.
‘‘ZDMWU has registered the Detroop workers’ case with Mines National Employers’ Council for a fair hearing among our concerns on behalf of the workers. We have raised issues of unfair labour practices, non-payment of overtime, no grading system, assault of employees, underpayment of wages and no safety clothing among other issues,” labour documents in our possession read.
“Conciliation will take place at NEC Mining facilitated by Tahwa on November 10, 2016 at 2:30pm and headed by Sam Makonde on behalf of the workers.”
The notification of litigation process was served to the mine on October 13.
An investigation by our sister paper, The Standard, recently exposed exploitation of workers and violation of labour and environmental laws at the Mashonaland West project.
Senior managers at the mine were allegedly abusing workers by demanding $50 from each of them every month as protection fees.
Detroop, situated about 170km north-west of Harare under Chief Magonde in Makonde district, along Angwa River, is run by China’s Jiangxi Risheng Mining Company.
“We are happy at strides made so far by mine workers’ union. They have come to our rescue although some of us are being victimised by senior management for exposing them. We will soldier on besides these threats as our rights are being violated,” a workers’ representative said, preferring anonymity.
A number of Chinese companies in the country have been accused of abusing workers, including paying low salaries and physically assaulting empoyees.
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