Printflow workers across the country embarked on a strike on Thursday, protesting the non-payment of their September salaries and management’s failure to comply with a Supreme Court order issued in January 2024.
The order had directed the company to reinstate housing and transport allowances, which were unilaterally removed in August 2020.
The 189 workers, including 120 at the Harare headquarters, and those stationed at branches in Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo, and Bulawayo, have vowed to continue the strike until their demands are met.
Speaking to New Ziana on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, a worker at the head office said:
We have received no communication from management regarding our concerns. The acting finance director Mr Manyonga, who is the works council chairperson, called the workers’ committee members in the morning.
At the same time, members from the National Employment Council (NEC) for the Printing Industry and Zimbabwe Graphic Workers Union (ZGWU) came and talked to staff, and they are now in a closed meeting with the CEO Mr David Takawira.
The workers’ committee members have been summoned into the meeting too.
Printflow workers have reportedly gone without a salary increase since January 2023, despite a National Employment Council (NEC) directive issued in January last year, which mandated an 8% wage hike. Said the worker:
Printflow applied for an exemption from this increase but even the agreed-upon four per cent was not implemented, with management citing the COVID-19 allowance workers received as the reason.
Tensions reached a boiling point when the company abruptly scrapped the COVID-19 allowance in June, a vital supplement that had become a lifeline for many employees.
The combination of stagnant wages and the loss of this allowance has left workers struggling to make ends meet, as they face rising costs for essential expenses like medical care and school fees.
In a letter dated September 10, 2024, employees formally notified management of their intention to stage a sit-in protest starting September 30, unless their grievances were addressed.
The workers’ key demands include the reinstatement of housing and transport allowances, as well as the provision of personal protective equipment, which allegedly has not been supplied since 2021.
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