ZIMBABWE Bankers and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) leaders were Wednesday afternoon arrested for protesting against the victimisation of Old Mutual Zimbabwe workers committee members.
Peter Mutasa and other union officials were picked up by the Police at Old Mutual offices on charges of trespassing.
The ZIBAWU leadership had gone to Old Mutual to demonstrate against the company’s crusade on members of the workers committee.
The hostility between workers committee and management started when the company decided to slash salaries for its employees.
After a misunderstanding between the two parties the management labeled the confrontation an illegal job action leading to a clampdown of all workers committee members who participated in the meeting.
This comes as OLD MUTUAL Zimbabwe is moving to fire members of the workers committee who are believed to have led an industrial action on the 9th of August in protest over a salary cut.
Speaking to Zim Morning Post ZIBAWU official who is representing the employees Tiri Marimo said the suspension was a crusade against members of the workers committee.
He added that six Old Mutual employees were in the line of fire with one already
“These guys were suspended on the 24th of July 2019 on the allegation of participating and mobilising an illegal collective Job Action. It’s a clear victimization of the workers committee as no one else was targeted,” Marimo said.
He further said the company is trying to dismantle the workers committee amid unfair labour practices being perpetrated by management.
He said ZIBAWU was not happy with the continuous unfair labour practices by the bank. “They have called members of the workers committee for a hearing and one was dismissed already. The other 5 members will get determinations this week,” he said.
Members of the workers committee who were not suspended are reportedly living in fear and likely to be targeted in the company’s restructuring exercise.