The ManicaPost
Senior Reporter
FORMER Allied Timbers contract workers who were camped at the company’s Nyakamete Industrial Area premises in Mutare for almost three weeks spend last Friday night in police cells before they were transported back to their respective bases awaiting payment of what the company owes them.
Some 100 former contract workers, who were demanding their dues from the timber producing concern, came from different areas that include Chimanimani, Gwindingwi, Erin and Stapleford Estates that are owned by the company.
The former contract workers were camped at the premise and sleeping in corridors and a boardroom at Number 6 Hellens’ Drive Nyakamete Industrial Area.
During the period of their camp at the company premises, the former contract workers were issued with eviction order and summons to appear in court, but resisted hence police intervention.
Allied Timbers public relations executive Ms Veronica Gutu said the company would pay the former contract workers in instalments starting with their current payroll.
“We are in arrears just like any other company and this is not peculiar to Allied Timbers. After all, it is not 17 months as reported. Some of them range from six to seven months. Others even took some advance payments before they were laid off.
“However, as a company we accept that we owe them and we are doing all that we can to make sure that they receive what is due to them. We have actually put in place a payment plan,” she said.
“We hope that we will not have similar disturbances in future. There is no way we can generate the money to pay them if they come back and disturb production like they did. We are now going to pay them in instalments and run their payments together with our current payroll,” said Ms Gutu.
