Staff ReporterOperations at Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe have come to a halt as approximately 30,000 employees, including contract workers, have stopped working in protest over the company’s failure to review their wages as promised.
The workers were promised a quarterly wage review adjusted for inflation in September, but management has yet to follow through on this commitment.
According to inside sources, the current strike is unlikely to immediately affect the sugar supply in the country. The company is said to have anticipated the job action by increasing production of stock in recent weeks.
One worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed frustration at the company’s failure to review wages during the holiday season. “Our salaries are supposed to be reviewed quarterly in line with inflationary trends, but this September, management did not follow through as promised. It is insensitive for them to not review our salaries, which have been eroded by inflation, during the festive season. The holiday season should be a time for us to spend quality time with our loved ones,” the worker said.
Efforts to reach Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe’s communications manager were unsuccessful, as calls went unanswered and messages went unreturned.