ZBC workers exonerate company management, blasts workers commitee

Harare- IN a rare relationship between employees and management, general workers and presenters at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) have thrown weight behind management and declared that they were content with their remuneration. The workers distanced themselves from a document authored by the organisation’s national workers committee accusing management of a barrage of corrupt activities including flouting procurement procedures and that employees were threatening to strike over poor wages.

In a letter dated June 23, addressed to the company board chair Dr Tayi, copied to board members, CEO and all members, the ZBC national workers committee accused management of corruption. It also claimed that workers were contemplating to strike if their salaries were not reviewed.

This claim was disputed Wednesday by ZBC general workers and presenters. They called for the dissolution of the commitee.

“We, the General Workers and Presenters of ZBC have watched in astonishment the recent on going and incessant attacks of the CEO in the social media which are being sponsored by the Worker’s Committee. We are further shocked at the Worker’s Committee mis-representation that their actions are representative of all ZBC employees and management. We believe that, as workers, we are being drawn into a power struggle which we, as General Workers and Presenters of ZBC, do not wish to participate in,” read part of the letter dated June 29, copied to the CEO, board chairman, all board members and all employees.

They further stated that: “We believe that the denigration of the CEO in public and social media through peddling of falsehoods as well as incitement of employees by the Worker’s Committee through WhatsApp Groups, through Memos as well as social media reports deviates from the purposes that the Worker’s Committee was constituted.

“We therefore seek your intervention in dissolving the current Worker’s Committee to allow workers to vote for a new committee which represents Unity, Progress and Worker Aspirations. We seek your good office, to assist us in disseminating our Memo across ZBC platforms. Please note we do not share the sentiments raised by the Worker’s Committee or else allow us to form our own committee which represents our interests. We pray that our Petition will be heard and urgently acted upon for the interest of the Corporation and All General Workers and Presenters.” However, the workers commitee chairperson Godfrey Maregere, who was recently suspended, challenged the authenticity of the communique in question. He told Express Mail Zim that the letter did not originate from employees.” That communique did not originate from ZBC employees or from within any of our members. As far as we are concerned we are not splitting and we remain United. Championing the same cause,” said Maregere. He also added that he was protected by the Labour Law and noone had power to dissolve the commitee haphazardly. “I trust you understand the labour law and composition of workers commitee. You can’t just wake up one day and dissolve the commitee,” he said. Asked on his suspension from duty, Maregere was evasive. “Well, that’s a different issue that will be resolved at a disciplinary hearing,” he said. The national broadcaster spokesperson Rumbi Moyo could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.