The Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) on Tuesday, September 3, said that it is challenging the alleged sexual harassment and subsequent dismissal of a female employee by the People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB).
In a statement, ZIBAWU revealed that the unnamed employee was terminated after she rejected sexual advances from a senior executive.
The union also shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation between the POSB manager and the employee, in which the manager solicited sexual favours. ZIBAWU said:
This is not fiction. It happened. The worker then lost her job and the executive was promoted. We have done all we can to make sure that POSB management and board deal with such extreme forms of sexual harassment of junior staff by senior executives. We are fighting back now…
Today we ask Israel Ndhlovu .The POSB Board Chairman If he is aware of this matter and what steps his esteemed Board has taken to address this grave injustice. If no steps have been taken or are being taken is this acceptable in POSB? We demand JUSTICE!
According to Mywage.org, the Labour Act prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment is considered one of the “unfair labour practices” and an employer can be held liable for civil remedies only.
It says the Labour Act strictly prohibits asking for sexual favours for the recruitment for employment; or the creation, classification or abolition of jobs or posts; or the improvement of the remuneration or other conditions of employment of the employee; or the choice of persons for jobs or posts, training, advancement, apprenticeships, transfer, promotion or retrenchment; or the provision of facilities related to or connected with employment; or any other matter relating to employment.
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