The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Allied Workers Trade Union (ZIMRATU) has taken ZIMRA board chairman Callisto Jokonya to task over his utterances in which he alleged that the workers were corrupt and will not have any salary increments during meetings he had with staff in Harare and Mutare last month.
This comes on the backdrop of mass resignations by the workers committee members who are citing intimidation and threats by the body chairperson. Workers are now threatening to stage a sit-in or go slow if their issues are not treated as a matter of urgency.
Sources said Zimra has since deployed former and serving Central Intelligence Office (CIO) officers at its head office.
ZIMRATU has written to Jokonya with demands that includes him issuing an apology in writing and retracting his unsubstantiated allegations that the employees were corrupt.
Zim Morning Post gleaned the letter dated April 10 and addressed to Jokonya and the employees accused him of violating labour law quoting ‘ILO Convention 98 on right to organise and collective bargaining 1949’.
“Withdraw your position that undermines the Collective Bargaining Processes in which you linked riding on corruption as as a pre-condition’’
“Withdraw your statement alleging that all ZIMRA workers are corrupt in writing your unsubstantiated utterances,” read part of the letter.
Jokonya is further accused of attacking a member of the workers alleging that he is a leader of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union.(ZCTU)
Jokonya was given 14 days to comply.
ZIMRA is also accused of appealing against a 25 percent salary increase awarded by the labour court.
The tiff between Jokonya and workers started after a March 18 meeting between the staff and board members held at Kurima House and he victimised workers, it is alleged.
This week we reported that ZIMRA is sailing through turbulent waters as the relationship between management, board chairman and workers have hit an all time low.
ZIMRA Commissioner-General Faith Mazani has embarked on a witch-hunt crusade where she has ordered the Human Resources personnel not to renew contracts for senior managers deemed to be aligned to outgoing Six senior managers from Greater Harare area Taxes department are facing the boot.
These are Harare regional manager Christopher Zifudzi, Martin Muponda ( Head Audits), John Chishakwa (Head TRM), Felix Chipanga (Regional HR Manager), Gamuchirai Makangudze (Regional Manager Environs) and Innocent Chikuni (Regional accountant).
The axe also targets senior managers in other regions outside Greater Harare.
ZIMRA workers committee members were prompted to resign en-masse in protest and solidarity with a colleague who was treated unfairly.
Meanwhile, Zim Morning Most has it on solid ground that the turbulence at ZIMRA has seen the deployment of former and serving members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) in the security and loss control department.
