The National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (NMWUZ) is calling for a minimum salary of US$1,200 to protect mining workers from inflation.
NMWUZ President Kurebwa Javangwe Nhomboka said that although global metal prices have risen, many mining workers are still earning below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL). Said Nhomboka:
“The year 2025 was once again a difficult and strenuous year for workers whose slave wages are still way below the PDL, making it difficult to fend for their families and cater for essential needs.
“The metal prices of all minerals mined in the country have risen on the international market, but on the other hand, the salaries of workers in the mining sector have remained stagnant.
“Henceforth as NMWUZ, we are demanding that the least paid worker in the mining sector gets $US 1200… that is for a general hand who is the least paid employee in the sector.
“The salary of workers in the mining sector is far too low in comparison with the hard work and sacrifice they render to the capitalist employers.”
Nhomboka said NMWUZ will also push for production-based bonuses, with a 100 per cent increase depending on targets set by companies.
He also urged mining companies to create home ownership schemes for their employees. Said Nhomboka:
“On home ownership schemes, our research has revealed that when a mining worker retires, he or she becomes destitute. When the workers pass on, the family becomes destitute.
“We are therefore calling on companies to formulate a policy benefit that ensures that workers own houses, as that will assist their dependants when they pass on.
“Upon retirement, mine workers will have a place to live rather than being destitute. This scheme must benefit workers from a lower grade.”
Nhomboka also called on mining companies to pay school fees for the children of lower-paid workers, as they do for the children of top managers. He said:
“Top managers are getting privileged perks where the school fees of their children are fully paid for by companies, while lower-grade workers do not have that privilege… they pay school fees and educational stationery for their children from their peanuts salaries.
“This means that children of top managers are being groomed to manage children of general hands.
“That bottleneck education system can only be destroyed if companies introduce a school fees for all policy.
“Even if children of general hand workers do not enrol at schools where children of top managers are learning, their school fees and educational stationery need to be paid for by companies, rather than for the lowly paid workers to fork out from their low salaries.
“This will create equal opportunities for the children in future.”
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