ZBC Workers Down Tools, Demand To Meet ED
Workers at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Services (ZBC) have demanded an urgent meeting with President Mnangagwa. In a memo, the workers who are citing incapacitation have listed a number of grievances such as staff welfare, COVID-19 allowance arrears, poor working conditions and the collapse of their relationship with the state broadcaster’s CEO.
See memo below:
MEMORANDUM
TO: PERMANENT SECRETARY MR N. MANGWANA
CC: CHIEF DIRECTOR MR J. GANDARI
FROM: ZBC NATIONAL WORKERS COMMITTEE
DATE: 06 OCTOBER 2022
SUBJECT: INCAPACITATION OF ZBC EMPLOYEES AND REQUEST TO MEET THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE
The above subject matter refers,
ZBC employees have since declared incapacitation and are requesting your office to facilitate a meeting with the Head of State to hand over a petition and highlight several issues that have been affecting them. This comes after months of requests by employees to meet the first citizen, which was delayed by the ZBC workers committee with the hope that a long-lasting solution would be found for the problems bedeviling the corporation and employees.
The main issues are:
- Staff welfare— failure to comply with NEC minimum salaries, and pension.
- Covid-19 allowances- 5 months arrears.
- Unpreparedness for the 2023 elections period-resources, transport, equipment, and staff morale.
- Abuse of company resources- fuel, hiring of vehicles.
- Victimization.
- High staff turnover — at Executive, Management and General staff level.
- Nosedive of ZBC standards- Content, brand, and local allowances for productions.
