BY JAMES MUTASA

The Director of Ampath Medical Laboratories, Last Mbwera is distancing himself from Adelaide Melisa Sibanda who is claiming unfair dismissal and a further US$3570 accrued as a result of underpayment of salaries, arguing that she was never part of the Medical Laboratories employees.

Sibanda charged that she was employed by Ampath Medical Laboratories under a contract without limitation of time on the 1^st of January 2022, on a salary scale of US$180 which was increased to US$250 in October of the same year.

“My contract of employment was never reduced to writing.’ Sibanda told The Worker, ‘I was never paid my salary in full as a result l amassed underpayments which are over U$3500.”

Sibanda added that from January 2022, the date she was engaged by the former employer until the date of disengagement she was never given a pay slip as salaries were paid in cash.

But, Sibanda’s assertion was disputed by Last Mbwera, Director of Ampath Laboratories who wrote that, “We have conducted a review of our employee records and have found no record of employment for an individual named A M Sibanda. Therefore, we are unable to confirm the alleged employment. To assist us in understanding your claim and to further investigate this matter, we request the following information a copy of AM Sibanda’s alleged contract of employment, copies of AM Sibanda curriculum vitae of her qualifications together with the alleged date of AM Sibanda’s resignation or termination of employment. Providing this information will enable us to conduct a more comprehensive review and provided a more informed response.’

According to Sibanda, Ampath Laboratories had never at all material times issued its employees with written contract of employment and pay slips.

“All the employees have verbal contracts of employment. We were never given pay slips and our salaries were paid in cash. Employees acknowledge receipt of their salaries by signing in an exercise book kept by the employer,’ she said.

Henry Tarumbira a trade union veteran said that none provision of pay slips or written contracts of employment is a cunning way by employers who want to avoid paying employees stipulated salaries agreed at the NECs and also shun responsibilities such as payment of statutory requirement like NSSA and NEC among others.