Supreme Court Ruling:-Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Fires 1,200 Of Its Remaining 2,000 Workforce

The cash-strapped Grain Marketing Board (GMB) which enjoys the monopoly of buying grain from farmers across the country has also taken advantage of the recent Supreme Court ruling to fire 1,200 out of its remaining 2000 work force.

GMB workers are owed 10 months’ salaries.

The company has over 80 depots around the country, 12 of which are equipped with silos for grain storage.

While drowning in liquidity problems, it has also failed to pay farmers almost $52 million for their 2013/2014 grain deliveries.

A few months ago, GMB lost two luxury cars sold by the messenger of court to settle thousands of dollars in rates and bills owed to Mazowe local authority for Mazowe and Concession depots.

Workers confirmed receiving letters of dismissal from one A Makuvise, the Human Resources Manager.

“Consequently you are no longer required to come to work with effect from the 5th August 2015 and your salary for the three months’ notice period, salary arrears to date, cash in lieu of leave and prorata bonus shall be processed,” reads part of the letter.

“The Human Resources – Division Salaries Section shall pay your dues in instalments commencing month of August.”

A GMB workers union representative still with the company who refused to be named, told NewZimbabwe.com that workers were not surprised when they received the letters notifying them to stop reporting for work.

“We saw it coming and I am told that more will follow and not much difference is there since we have not been receiving our salaries for months now.

“We doubt very much if the management will pay us our 10 months’ salary arrears and all what they mentioned in their terminations letters,” he said.

The workers at one point staged a sit-in at the GMB head office Dura House along Samora Machel Avenue in Harare but later broke it off when management gave them $200 each and promised to pay more.

At one point the management offered to pay workers with 10 bags of 50 kg maize per worker as part settling the owed salaries.

The GMB move comes amid reports from state media that the ruling party Zanu PF announced Wednesday that Cabinet had agreed to amend the law in order to stop the job loses.

The Supreme Court ruling allows companies to fire workers on three months’ notice and to date more than 48 companies have sent home more than 18 000 workers home. source-newzimbabwe

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