Workers at RioZim Limited’s Cam & Motor Mine have openly challenged their own union’s decision to seek corporate rescue for the company, revealing that management has begun paying outstanding salary arrears and questioning the necessity of court intervention, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
In a strongly worded letter dated 10 November 2025, addressed to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and the National Employment Council for the Mining Industry, the Cam & Motor Mine Workers’ Committee expressed strong objection to the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU)’s application to place RioZim under corporate rescue.
The workers’ representatives, Chairman Isaac Mariki and Secretary Velord Mashapa, asserted that the union’s decision “was made without consultation with the Workers’ Committee or the majority of employees.” They emphasised that ZDAMWU “represents only a minority of the workforce,” adding that “several of its own members have expressed disagreement with the action taken.”
The letter states that the corporate rescue application “has caused confusion and uncertainty at the workplace and does not reflect the collective position of the employees, most of whom wish to see the company recover through ongoing operational efforts rather than through court intervention.”
The workers’ position appears supported by recent developments on the ground. When contacted by Mining Zimbabwe, several employees confirmed they have begun receiving partial payments for salary arrears dating from January to June, with each worker being paid 50 per cent of what they are owed, starting a month ago. This progress in settling outstanding wages has led many workers to question the urgency of corporate rescue proceedings.
The Workers’ Committee argues that ZDAMWU’s actions violate the Labour Act, stating that the union’s decision is “unfair and contrary to the Labour Act Chapter 28:01, which requires majority opinion and unanimous employee consent in significant decisions affecting employees’ interests.”
The dispute emerges against the backdrop of RioZim’s broader restructuring efforts. Chairman Caleb Dengu, in his review of the group’s interim financial results for the half year ended 30 June 2025, acknowledged “a particularly challenging period for the Group, marked by significantly reduced production across our mining operations.” However, he also pointed to “early signs of macroeconomic stability” and confirmed that “plans to fully restart operations at Cam & Motor Mine are well underway, with full production expected before year-end.”
The workers have appealed for urgent intervention from labour authorities to investigate the union’s conduct and ensure it respects the rights of the majority of employees who prefer to allow the company’s ongoing recovery efforts to proceed without court-supervised restructuring.
