By Own Correspondent

ZIMBABWE’s top financial services provider, Central African Building Society (CABS) is up in arms with employees over a questionable directive for all employees to append their signatures on unexplained new employment contracts.

Speaking on the matter recently, a source at the bank alleged that CABS has ordered lower level managerial employees and non-managerial staffers to sign new contracts of employment.

“What boggles the mind is that the company has neither engaged the workers’ committee nor the workers’ union in direct contravention of the importance of dialogue at the workplace. These new contracts are in a way being imposed over and above the existing employment contracts of employment.

“We are afraid the employer is maneuvering to smuggle some changes which may expose employees’ to grave disadvantages,” he said.

In an earlier posting on X, Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) effectively confirmed that all is not well and urged the workers not to sign the new contracts of employment until due processes by the union have been exhausted.

Please don’t sign the so called new contracts we hear the employer want everyone to sign You must wait until then Union lawyers critically analyze if your rights are protected It is a pity that the employer is doing this without proper consultation

“If you sign without legal advice you may forfeit some of the rights accrued or provided in terms of the old contracts. There is a legal principle called novation and if you sign the new contracts you may not be able to rely on the provisions of the old contracts,” said the union.

Again, ZIBAWU said the contract with 29 pages contains many legal issues which may have consequences on your continued employment, past and future entitlements. We hope the management of this brand will do the right thing and properly consult the works council & Union.

“We provide legal services to employees and that we have been doing for decades. Workers are not slaves and laws of the country should always guide corporate actions Unless you support slavery and tyranny Despite high employment workers remain humans whose rights must be respected,” added ZIBAWU.