By Moses Ziyambi
Employers in Masvingo have joined the sacking spree engulfing the country with at least 32 workers understood to have lost their jobs in the province since the Supreme Court judgement which authorized companies to wantonly dismiss their workers at three months’ notice.
The sacking bandwagon, kick-started by a landmark ruling in which two former Zuva Petroleum workers challenging the termination of their contracts lost their case, has had a ripple effect around the country.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Masvingo region says they have so far received several reports of employees being summarily dismissed.
“There is a sudden surge in the number of people losing their jobs. We have just forwarded the names of 12 workers dismissed from Balmain Spar to our Harare head office,” said ZCTU Masvingo’s Elliot Mposhi.
Leisure group Regency, said Mposhi, has also dismissed 12 workers at its three companies in the city. The group owns Ritz Nightclub, Chevron Hotel and the flagship Flamboyant Hotel.
“They have dismissed a number of junior staff as well as senior managers. Again, reports coming from the Lowveld say Chiredzi Spar has dismissed 10 workers. We are very worried by this senseless loss of jobs,” said Mposhi.
Although no comment could be gotten from the employers in question, Beitbridge Spar has also dismissed 25 employees from their three branches in the border town.
It is understood Spar Beitbridge is owned by the same consortium that controls Balmain Spar in Masvingo and Chiredzi Spar.
Meanwhile, sources within Regency have revealed that management has started a wholesale dismissal exercise that will see virtually all employees getting their three months dismissal letters so that they could be rehired later as casuals.
“It’s not only a flagrant casualization of labour, but is an unjust exercise that will see other employees not returning after the three months,” said the source.
Social media has been abuzz with speculation that other big employers in Masvingo like N. Richards and Delta Beverages are also mooting massive job cuts.local
