Harare - The Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) on Monday petitioned BancABC bank head offices in Harare, demanding among other things, that the bank write off housing and vehicles loans they gave to 44 retrenched workers.
Atlas Mara Limited holds 95.8 percent in BancABC’s operations in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia and trades on the British Stock Exchange.
ZIBAWU President, Farai Katsande, said the bank, which had only paid the retrenched workers two weeks’ salary for every year served, was now demanding that the workers pay back loans they got when they were still engaged.
“Now your management is demanding that all those who still have outstanding loans pay up or their property will be attached. Some even risk being imprisoned. These workers are now set to lose properties necessary for their sustenance,” he said.
He said the workers were paid retrenchment packages which were far less than their loan obligations to the bank, leaving them indebted to the bank.
Katsande said the workers wanted the bank to write off the loans, adding the bank had not paid the mandatory three months’ salary notice pay which was mandatory.
He said the action by the bank management was inconsiderate.
“Had it not been the promulgation of the Labour Amendment Number 5 of 2015, it appears you would have preferred to chase the workers away from employment without any cent paid as compensation.”
Katsande said the workers would demonstrate every Monday at the bank until management heeds their demands.
A former worker who served the bank for fifteen years, Nkanali Mavhuto, said the employer had been negotiating in bad faith from the onset.
“We first engaged in dialogue and they seemed to be in agreement with us and they asked us to bring our proposal, which we did. However, despite giving them our proposal, they went on to pay us two weeks’ salary for every year served.
“What we are asking is that they write off the loans they gave us because they are now coming to us demanding that we pay the loans and threatening legal action. Where do they expect us to get the money and at the same time, we did not ask them to retrench us,” Mavhuto said.
BancABC chief executive Joe Sibanda, who received the petition from Katsande, said he had only signed to acknowledge receipt but did not acknowledge the contents in the petition.
African News Agency