Bata Shoe Company has compelled its former staff to return to work after neglecting to compensate them with their severance packages. In November of the previous year, more than 106 employees were terminated without prior notice, with assurances from the company that they would promptly receive their severance pay.
However, failing to fulfill this promise, the company has now reversed its decision, purportedly to evade legal action. These ex-employees have been receiving correspondence instructing them to resume their duties as of this month, as per reports from NewsDay.
Sources reveal that those laid off, who served between 10 to 15 years, are owed $15,000, while those with over 15 years of service are expecting $20,000. The affected individuals are now confronted with the distressing situation of returning to work without the pension benefits they rightfully earned over their tenure of 15 to 20 years. The letters they received lacked detail, simply indicating their return to work starting March 11.
Some workers, desperate for employment, have already resumed their duties, while others have chosen to disregard the directive, seeing it as an indication of the company’s financial inability to fulfill its pension obligations.
One of the affected individuals, Nyamugama, expressed their dismay at being laid off abruptly after dedicating more than a decade to the company. He highlighted the lack of proper notification during the retrenchment process and the challenges faced during the festive season without their expected packages.
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Attempts to reach Bata country manager Simon Mutisya for comment were unsuccessful. Mutisya previously mentioned the company’s struggle to maintain its workforce of 1,200 employees and the difficulties in resuming operations in sections affected by fire incidents, leading to the retrenchments.
Bata also faces tough competition from second-hand and imported shoe brands flooding the market, with ordinary Zimbabweans increasingly preferring these cheaper alternatives priced between $2 and $20.
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