The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDMWU) is outraged by the treatment of workers at South Mining (Private) Limited following a viral video that showed an employee cleaning a toilet without appropriate protective equipment.
In a letter addressed to South Mining’s Human Resources Manager, M. K. Mutunja, dated October 7, ZDMWU Secretary General Justice Chinhema said the “blatant disregard for workers’ safety and their well-being” has to stop. He wrote:
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It has come to our attention that your management has been constantly failing to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to workers, forcing them to work in hazardous conditions.
This egregious abuse of workers’ rights will no longer be tolerated. We demand immediate action to address this critical issue.
</blockquote>
Chinhema called on South Mining to immediately provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for all workers, including general hand workers, and to implement regular inspections to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
The ZDMWU also demanded that the company conduct training on the proper use and maintenance of PPE and take disciplinary action against supervisors and managers responsible for neglecting safety protocols.
In the letter, Chinhema warned South Mining that failure to meet ZDMWU’s demands within seven days would lead to the matter being referred to the relevant regulatory authorities and the filing of a formal complaint with labour authorities.
ZDMWU also threatened to organise protests and demonstrations against the company’s management and consider industrial action, including a potential strike. Added Chinhema:
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Occupational health and safety of workers should be priority of your management not profit, cases of unsafe working environment has been reported by workers at your mine with so many accidents happening unreported due to lack of safety standards.
The labour requires your management to take appropriate actions that promote health and safety of workers because they have a rights to safe work and fair labour standards not what we have seen on social media.
We seek to so your management addressing and build a work environment that promote, protect and observe workers ‘rights, job security, safety and health.
</blockquote>
South Mining is a prominent coke-producing company which operates primarily out of Hwange, with its head office located in Harare.
The company runs three coke oven batteries with a total production capacity of 250,000 tons of coke annually.
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The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDMWU) is upset about a video showing workers cleaning toilets at South Mining without proper protective gear. They sent a letter demanding the company provide safety equipment and training for workers. If South Mining doesn't act in seven days, the matter will be reported to authorities. ZDMWU may protest or even go on strike if things don't improve. They want the company to prioritize the safety and health of workers over profit, as there have been reports of unsafe conditions leading to accidents. The company is based in Hwange and produces 250,000 tons of coke a year.

Viral Video Of Workers Cleaning Toilets At South Mining With Bare Hands Sparks Outrage

The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) says there is nothing to celebrate on this year’s Workers Day, saying mine workers are subjected to “Chibharo” a form of modern-day slavery.
The country is also reeling from the effects of climate change that is threatening lives and livelihoods.
In a statement celebrating the 2024 May Day this Wednesday, 01 May, ZDAMWU General Secretary Justice Chinhema said that the El Nino-induced drought which the country is facing has also affected the well-being of mine workers. He added:
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[The] 2024 Workers Day has come at a moment when mine workers are fighting tooth and nail to reclaim their rights, for a living wage and protection against excessive exploitation.
We are at a critical stage of history where we are not retreating in confronting the mistreatment of workers and believe May Day should not only be an occasion for gatherings, but it should be a day to salute the mine workers for their continued sustenance of the economy and expression of a deep appreciation to them and those who died or have been injured at the workplace in mines across the country.
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Chinhema pleaded with employers to prioritise the welfare of workers and for the government to ensure that mine workers are treated with dignity. He said:
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The Government and employers in the sector need to lend an ear to the concerns of the mine workers as much as possible to see that they are addressed not the current situation where workers have been turned into slaves by employers, Mine workers have nothing to celebrate on this May Day as they are subjected to poor working conditions and ‘slave wages’ which have thrown them into abject poverty despite being a vital cog in our economy.
Some big mines are even failing to pay salaries when they are due even when production is stable. The welfare of mineworkers in the country has remained pitiful. Sadly, this year’s Workers Day comes against the background of poor safety and health in our workplaces.
We have cases of workers working for long hours in unsafe environments, earn as you work system introduced by some employers, casualization of labour across all mines- workers signing short-term fixed contracts when work of permanent is available, rampant labour broking being introduced by corrupt, greedy managers taking over labour at companies they manage to pay slave wages while they earn huge.
This is a form of CHIBHARO which has been modernized. Poor provision of accommodation in some areas companies are building dormitories for workers.
Mine workers have nothing to show for themselves as their houses including rural homes because of the colonial set-up of compounding.
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Chinhema warned that workers have decided “enough is enough” and will organise and protect their rights against exploitation. He said:
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While we await our time to be part of the NEC Collective Bargaining where we shall immediately push for the amendment of all the various statutes currently being used by the NEC because they are all outdated, it is a travesty of labour justice that we are still using a CBA OF 1990.
Our call is and it remains a reform of the National Employment Council (NEC) so that it not only serves the mine workers but also serves its purpose.
As ZDAMWU we would like to reiterate that mine workers’ welfare is the reason for our existence. As a union, we shall be pushing for the implementation of ILO C176 in Zimbabwe and other existing safety and health laws.
We need to continue pushing for the criminalization of deliberate cause of accidents particularly where it is proved that the employer has failed to comply with the safety rules and regulations.
</blockquote>
ZDAMWU said it has put in place a Sexual Harassment policy to address gender-based violence and sexual harassment in mines and mining communities. Said Chinhema:
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We are cognizant of the challenges being faced by female mine workers in the country. As a union, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to protect the rights of female mine workers.
The union is committed to the emancipation of women both in the world of work and outside. We have recognised the challenges women face in general and have put measures and programs in place to address such anomalies and the emancipation of women workers in particular.
We have now put in place a Gender &amp; Sexual Harassment policy that seeks to address gender-based violence and sexual harassment in mines and mining communities.
Campaigns will be rolled at the mine level, and communities as well as pushing through the works council for workplace policy on Sexual Harassment, Gender Based Violence in the world of work.
</blockquote>
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