BY JAMES MUTASA

The National Union of Metal and Allied Industries in Zimbabwe (NUMAIZ) recently held training for its newly elected trade union committee at Afrochine Smelting Private Limited.

According to NUMAIZ deputy general secretary James Nesvinga, the one-day training workshop which was held as an orientation exercise for the 15 elected Afrochine Smelting trade union committee focused much on the fundamental rights.

“The educational program, is one of our effective ways of protecting our members from possible unfair labour practices,” Nesvinga said.

“Trade union committee members who are the face of NUMAIZ at the workplace have the burden of protecting employees’ rights as well as advancing their interests in the works council and disciplinary committees among other duties hence the need to make sure that they are trained,” he added.

Nesvinga told The Worker that a term ‘trade union committee’ is a term which refers to a workers committee at a company where more than half of the employees are members of the same trade union, a scenario which is applicable at Afrochine Smelting.

“The education received today by the trade union committee members will go a long way in helping workers at the shop floor level,” said Isaac Mangwanya, the NUMAIZ organizing secretary of Chegutu Branch.

Chairperson of the acquainted trade union committee Simbarashe Gombera had this to say; “We are grateful for the services which we received from our union, we realized that indeed we are the face of the NUMAIZ here at Afrochine. We learnt that our duties include recruitment, education and membership servicing,” Gombera went on.

Human Resources Manager of Afrochine Smelting (Pvt) Ltd, a Chinese owed ferrochrome smelting producer located at Half Way along Harare – Bulawayo, Gilbert Kwaramba said that the he hoped the training will help improve employer – employee relations.