Staff Writer
The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers’ Union (ZDAMWU) has lost touch with its core membership and is pursuing a selfish agenda through its incessant push for a Corporate Rescue Programme for the diversified mining company, RioZim, workers have said.
ZDAMWU represents only about 12 percent of the entire RioZim workforce.
RioZim employees say they are currently receiving their salaries on time, as well as back pay to clear outstanding dues, following the revival of the company’s operations. They now fear that the push for Corporate Rescue could derail the ongoing and successful internal restructuring exercise.
In an interview yesterday, Solidarity Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (SOMWUZ) vice president Bruce Chabikwa said the current internal restructuring process was the right approach.
“We sat down with our members, and their stance is that they don’t support the Corporate Rescue push. They are in support of internal restructuring, and we stand by that position,” he said.
In terms of membership, SOMWUZ has the highest number of unionised employees at both Cam & Motor and Dalny Mines — all of which fall under RioZim’s gold division.
“We are seeing progress as Renco Mine has resumed operations, and Cam & Motor employees are now back at work. We have also been informed that start-up preparations are visible, notably that dewatering of the pit has begun.
“In terms of salaries, there is a commitment that was presented to employees and copied to us, which of late has been fulfilled — even covering employees whose contracts were terminated last year,” Chabikwa added.
Recently, RioZim successfully reopened Renco Mine following a landmark capital-raising exercise that provided the much-needed funding to restart and stabilise operations, settle creditor obligations, and ensure consistent payment of employee salaries.
Between mid-September and October this year, Renco Mine produced approximately 20 kilograms of gold — signalling a strong return to productivity and confirming the viability of its renewed operations. The restart has also safeguarded over 1,200 jobs, ensuring continued livelihoods for families and communities that depend on the mine.
In a tense exchange this week, RioZim workers confronted ZDAMWU secretary-general Justice Chinhengo on a WhatsApp group, questioning whom he was representing.
“The bottom line is that we are being paid our salaries, clearance of outstanding salaries is progressing well, and medical aid and pension contributions are being made. We are seeing progress — let this continue,” said one frustrated employee.
In a furious response, Chinhengo lashed out, insisting that ZDAMWU was not only fighting for salary payments.
“We want the salary, plus much more. What has been put in place to address the causes that led to RioZim’s situation over the past five to seven years? What are their short-, mid-, and long-term plans for the mine — including job security and salary guarantees, as it was before this situation?
“What are the plans for pensioners and those about to retire? People are retiring into poverty — look at the living standards of those who left the company. We have raised issues of mismanagement; what has been done to prevent this from happening again?
“Lastly, how much capital injection has been put into the mine to address production and other operational issues? Without these matters being addressed, Corporate Rescue remains the only way forward,” Chinhengo said.
However, Workers’ Council Committees at both Dalny and Cam & Motor mines claim that ZDAMWU has lost its connection with the workers and is pursuing a self-serving agenda.
“Their mandate is to represent the workers’ views, not to pursue their own selfish interests. As workers, we feel they have gone rogue. We are contemplating revoking our affiliation with them,” one committee representative said.