By James Mutasa

The National Union of Metal and Allied Industries in Zimbabwe (NUMAIZ) is mooting an idea to amalgamate the 5 National Employment Councils operating in the Metal Industry to bridge the widening difference of minimums in the Metal Industry. The industry has the Automotive and Allied, Electronics Communications and Allied, Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, Ferro Alloy, Engineering and Iron and Steel.

NUMAIZ President Anthony Nyashanu said amalgamation of the NEC's would assist in bridging the salary gap in the industry.

“NUMAIZ is saddened by the difference in salaries and wages yielded at various NECs which falls under our scope of coverage for example the lowest paying sector is Motor Manufacturing which still have the audacity to pay employees, among them coach builders, a paltry monthly salary of ZWL$286,” said Nyashanu.

Nyashanu who was speaking to the Worker at the sidelines of the ZCTU General Council meeting held recently went on, “the Automotive sector still pays December 2019 salaries whose basic minimum is a mere RTGS $361 with ferro alloy paying ZWL$1100 and Electronics has its minimum pegged at ZWL$2300.

“Considering the wider gap of minimums which existed among NUMAIZ sectors the lasting solution to this problem is to work hard and fight hard in quest to have one NEC which will regulate conditions of work including working hours, health and safety issues, wages and salaries,” he said.

According to Nyashanu the harmonization of the said 5 NEC will present NUMAIZ with an opportunity to bring together all its human resources in terms of negotiators thereby forming one formidable negotiating team which will negotiate on behalf of all sectors.

“Apart from that,” added Nyashanu, “amalgamation of NEC will further activate negotiations in the Motor Manufacturing which were last held around 2008 and this has a negative bearing on the employees as employers refuses to negotiate with them in their respective works council.

Canaan Samukange the Human Resources Executive of Willowvale Mazda Motor Industry is on record saying that his company has withdrawn from the NEC for motor manufacturing while David Dumba of Quest Motor manufacturing maintains that the NEC was dissolved in 2012 a notion refuted by Author Mhondo the NEC secretary general. Mhondo' assertion was supported by Sylvester John the Human Recourses Manager of AVM Africa who said that the NEC for Motor Manufacturing is still operational.

It remains to be seen if Nyashanu's quest to unify the NECs succeeds bearing in mind that other secretary generals of the said NECs notably Samson Zengeni of National Employment Council of the Motor Industry is assumed to be one of the antagonists of NUMAIZ.