via Workers stranded as Chinese miner closes – New Zimbabwe 24/03/2015
A CHINESE chrome mining and smelting firm in Gweru closed down last month leaving workers stranded.
The company is yet to settle outstanding salaries and allowances backdated to 2011, NewZimbabwe.com has learnt.
According to workers who spoke on condition of anonymity, Xin Yu Mining, shut down operations mid-last month with the owners threatening employees who asked for packages.
In 2010 the company came under spotlight for violating labour regulations. The firm was allegedly underpaying and overworking employees resulting in the workers taking the company to the labour court.
At that time, the workers sued the company for unfair labour practices after it emerged they were being paid $86 per month but worked 12-hour shifts daily.
An arbitrator ruled in favour of the employees and ordered the company to operate within the minimum standards of the mining industry but company owners never honoured the order.
“The employer is still to pay us outstanding salaries and allowances yet has not been open as to whether we will get paid,” said one worker.
Another worker said the employers were in the habit of threatening workers whenever they ask for payments adding that the company just announced the closure to them (workers) without giving details.
“They gave us notice they were ceasing operations on the 14th of February but no other details were given,” he said.
Company representatives, Mr Wang Yizhe or its director, Mr Lin were not available for comment.
In a Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Midlands region report released this January, ZCTU central region chairperson Martin Tazvivinga revealed that they were having problems with Chinese companies in the region including Xin Yu.
“New players in the industry, and Chinese-owned companies in Gweru, like Jin An, Xin Yu and Nelson Holdings operate under pathetic working conditions.
“Workers are underpaid and the courts are choked with cases from these Chinese-owned companies,” part of the report reads.
COMMENTS
It is pathetic to phantom a slave oriented operation in Zimbabwe in this day and age. With the termination of colonialism one would have thought that Chinese would have come in with a clean record and noble intentions. But as it turns out to be Chenese people helped us rid of Britons to come and subjugate us for their gain. $8for 12 hours work for one moth is utter slavery. Talk of people being owed for salaries back to 2011. Our government has turned its back on us. Chinese people threatening Zimbabweans in Zimbabwe. Looks like the whole management must be jailed until all issues are solved. Please help struggling Zimbabweans for a change.
You vote for ZANU govt that’s exactly what you get. China fail to look after its people then you dream milk and honey, think again. Work up zimbababweans some of you have children who are zanu pf youth who go by terrorising pple. Suffer continue.
The Chinese are out to make money . Their growth has being phenomenal why. They pay their workers 2dollars a month and they have millions to chose from. So according to them we are simply whinging.
The people are forced to work under atrocious conditions similar to ours. It is obvious this rogue government of ours is allowing this to happen and cares nothing who complains. Simply put the look east policy has been a failure to us and is only benefiting the rogue regime .
Chinese were given along rope to do whatever they want by ZANU PF. They allowed their own people to suffer under the hands of the chinesse. ZANU PF should change its’ look east policy and start to think as people who are in the office managing a company which they wish to a sucessful company please. Yes these guys assisted us during the war but they still want to abuse us even after we have given them whatever they ask for. These should STOP to abuse us( Zimbabweans ) in the name ZANU PF.Zviri kuitikira mumusha mani menyu vakuru pindirai.
zvirinani tidzokere pautongi hwema british unlike what we see now.Chinese cannot develop our country but destroying it.