Tensions Escalate at Murowa Diamonds

Witness Runodada Zim Now reporter

Tensions remain high at Murowa Diamonds Pvt Ltd as workers continue their strike action, demanding urgent resolution to a string of long-standing grievances.

The company’s General Manager addressed employees and contractors on-site this week in a bid to quell growing unrest, but workers have stood firm, vowing to maintain their tools-down protest until all outstanding salaries and allowances are fully paid.

The strike, which began on July 9, has gained momentum over the past days, with employees citing poor working conditions, unpaid wages, and victimisation among a litany of concerns. The workers, under the banner of the Murowa Diamonds Workers’ Committee, submitted a formal demand letter to the company’s board on July 12, listing nine major grievances. The letter described the decision to strike as "not taken lightly but... a result of prolonged and unresolved grievances which continue to compromise the dignity, safety, and fundamental human rights of workers at the mine."

In an effort to address the growing standoff, the General Manager, alongside RioZim Human Resources Group Executive Jasmine Nyanike, met with workers at the mine site. Management presented a proposal to begin paying full salaries plus an additional 66% portion of previously unpaid wages starting from the end of August. According to the source, workers refused to take the offer and would likely to receive full 100% salaries for the subsequent four months.

However, the proposal did little to satisfy workers, who refused to resume duties until all outstanding payments.

Workers have been demanding "immediate payment of all outstanding arrears, including salaries, overtime, shift allowances, and annual bonuses," according to the letter.

The employees also raised serious concerns about food quality, lack of basic supplies, poor transport and safety conditions, equipment shortages, and what they allege is systematic victimization of union representatives. “Any form of intimidation, threats, or punitive transfers and dismissals aimed at union representatives or workers voicing legitimate concerns must cease immediately,” the letter reads.

A key sticking point in the dispute is the ongoing issue of contract insecurity. Workers demanded that all employees on one-month rolling contracts be upgraded to at least 12-month terms in line with national labor standards. The memo further criticizes unilateral deductions from payslips and calls for full compliance with the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Despite management’s efforts to de-escalate the situation, the workers' representative made it clear that without tangible financial redress, the strike would continue. "We remain committed to dialogue and a peaceful resolution, but we stand firm in our right to demand fair treatment, just compensation, and a safe working environment," the letter concluded.

As of now, operations at the Murowa mine remain significantly disrupted, with no clear end in sight to the standoff. The Board of Murowa Diamonds has yet to release an official response to the workers' formal letter of demand