A Designated Agent of the National Employment Council (NEC) for the Brickmaking and Clay Products Industry, Belinda Garudzo, has ordered Kakorodzi Enterprise—trading as Norton Bricks—to pay US$6,600 in terminal benefits to former employees following an unlawful termination of their contracts.

In her ruling, Garudzo noted that while reinstatement remains the primary legal remedy for unfair dismissal, both parties agreed during oral hearings that their working relationship had irreparably soured. Consequently, an agreement was reached for financial compensation in lieu of reinstatement. However, the tribunal found that obligatory gratuity payments had remained unpaid.

While the arbitral ruling explicitly refers to six employees, the official distribution breakdown lists seven individual claimants whose payout allocations sum up exactly to the total award of US$6,600:

• Knowledge Manenji: US$1,052

• Chitani Mathukwi: US$1,008

• Admire Muhina: US$1,008

• Courage Chihota: US$932

• Phinias Kaitano: US$900

• Terrence Munyonho: US$900

• Albert Maponga: US$800

The dismissed workers were represented by the Brick and Clay Products Workers Union (BCPWUZ) through union organizer Patricia Chikukuza.

Chikukuza submitted that the employer unilaterally reduced the workers' daily wage from 54 cents to 35 cents per day without agreement. Furthermore, she highlighted that:

• All claimants were employed on permanent contracts without time limits.

• Save for Chitani Mathukwi, all claimants resided outside the company's Norton premises.

• The company had abruptly ceased paying long-standing housing and transport allowances in March 2025.

Conciliation efforts between the aggrieved workers and management failed to reach an amicable settlement prior to arbitration.

Representing Norton Bricks, Human Resources Manager Meki countered that the dispute had already been finalized on August 15, 2025. Meki argued that the matter was resolved in the presence of the claimants' trade union representatives and that each worker had already received US$100 as terminal benefits.

Despite the management's defense, the tribunal ruled in favor of the workers, compelling Norton Bricks to settle the full terminal gratuity benefits outlined in the award.