Disgruntled National Railways of Zimbabwe Workers' Families Join Strike
“It is very unfortunate that a responsible employer has chosen to ignore what employees are saying on the ground."
WASHINGTON D.C. — Striking National Railways of Zimbabwe workers’ families have joined them and have camped at the parastatal’s Lochnivar Rugare offices in Harare demanding payment of 15 months outstanding salaries. Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railways Workers Union president Kamurai Moyo told VOA Studio 7 the families started gathering at the Rugare premises since last Friday night. NRZ workers in Harare, Mutare, Gweru and Bulawayo went on strike last week to press for the payments of their owed salaries. Moyo said the workers had no other option because they have been trying to engage the parastatal but to no avail. “The action by workers is out of the desperate situation that is faced by NRZ employees,” said Moyo. He added that they have gone for months without salaries as they have gone for 15 months without salaries and five months without being paid their transport allowances. “It is very unfortunate that a responsible employer has chosen to ignore what employees are saying on the ground,” Moyo said. He accused the NRZ of rushing to the Ministry of Labour to seek for a show-cause order, yet it was well aware of the reason why they are on strike. Contacted for a comment, NRZ spokesperson Fanuel Masikati confirmed that it was true that workers were on strike. Masikati said NRZ was doing its best to address this issue but the problem was returns from transport business is currently low. He said that like most parastatals his company has been struggling to raise money to pay its workers. He assured the striking workers that the impasse will be resolved once the parastatal raises enough money to pay then the outstanding salaries.