Zimglass employees hold management hostage

Published: 11 December 2013

Management at the Gweru glass manufacturing company, Zimglass, was held hostage for the greater part of Monday as employees protested over unpaid salaries.

The company reportedly owes workers three months salaries and recently management deposited $96 into the workers' individual accounts.

Workers viewed this development as an insult, a source said. When reporters visited the company premises on Monday night, the employees were manning all the factory's exit points including the main gate while threatening to beat up any of the management team who dared to get out of the premises.

The management team was still holed up in their offices by 8.30pm when the news crew left the glass manufacturing plant's premises.

Employees interviewed claimed that the company recently received a significant amount of money from their major client, Delta Beverages, but management still failed to pay them their outstanding salaries.

They said they were shocked when they went to their banks and found $96 in their accounts after the company management indicated that they had deposited "something" into their accounts for the festive season.

"We went to the bank smiling only to be shocked by the paltry $96 the company deposited into our bank accounts. We decided to stage a demonstration, blocking management from getting out of the company premises as we felt what was deposited into our accounts was an insult," said one of the employees.

Some workers said they withdrew from their banks as little as $10 after part of the money was eroded by bank charges.

A senior member of the management team who requested not to be named said the company was struggling to operate. The manager said the company stopped production in September.

The management staff said the money which they received from Delta was divided among the 330 employees and each worker got $96.

"There was nothing we could do. It was the only money we had and we deposited it into the employees' accounts. There has been no production taking place at the company since September," said the official.

The official said they had to call the police to disperse the marauding employees late during the night.

"Police only responded to our alarm at about 10.30pm and that was when we were escorted out of the company premises," said the official

Zimglass communications executive, Derrick Sibanda said he was not in the office yesterday and referred all questions to the acting chief executive officer, Gilbert Tapfuma.

Tapfuma said he was away when the incident occurred and was still to be appraised of the development.

A police officer in Gweru confirmed that police in riot gear were dispatched to Zimglass to monitor the situation. The police officer, however, said no one was arrested.
- chronicle