Chinese diamond mining giant Anjin Investments (Pvt) Limited has dismissed 1,500 workers it suspended Monday for engaging in a strike that paralysed the company’s operations.
According to Anjin Investments workers’ committee representatives, the employees were each summoned Thursday and Friday to a hearing at the company offices in Marange, Manicaland Province, and told to go home following a four-day suspension.
One of the dismissed workers’ representatives who declined to be named in fear of being victimized, told VOA Studio 7 the employees were accused of engaging in a strike which started two weeks ago.
The High Court ruled that the job action was illegal.
The Anjin worker said the fired workers have been ordered to vacate the company housing units and file new applications if they want to be re-hired.
The workers went on strike demanding that the least paid worker should be paid $650 instead of $235 they are currently getting a month.
The workers’ committee representative said they will be taking Anjin investments, with strong military ties, to court Monday.
The dismissed employees are also claiming that some of their colleagues have been sodomized by three Anjin Investments managers.
the managers have reportedly written an apology to the workers committee but police have not taken any action to arrest the suspects.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has repeatedly accused the company of failing to adequately account for Marange diamond proceeds though the diamond firm claims that it has remitted $30 million in diamond taxes to the government since last September.
