Rudo Saungweme

The cash strapped labour backed party, MDC led by Nelson Chamisa has embarked on a massive retrenchment drive that will see hoards of workers going home with meagre exit packages.

The opposition political party which pretends to have workers at heart, represented by its Secretary General, Charlton Hwende held a meeting with the workers last week where he told them to fill termination forms and then re-apply if they still need the job.

A well-placed source within the MDC revealed that the retrenchment is meant to purge all workers who are aligned to the ousted Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora.

“Vetting on re-application will be based on political allegiance, thereby eliminating anyone who is aligned to former S.G Douglas Mwonzora, giving room for all those who support Hwende,” revealed the source.

Mwonzora was the Secretary General (S.G) before the elective congress last month. Hwende is allegedly using his new position to employ his allies.

 According to the sources, pension of retrenched workers shall be calculated at one week of gross salary earned per year served. The least paid employee is getting RTGS $220 per month.

One disgruntled MDC worker who refused to be named said that the method used for calculation of their pensions will see them going home with peanuts.

During the meeting, Hwende told the workers that the National Standing Committee (NSC) resolved to pay workers’ salary arrears for seven months. However, the workers’ committee Chairman, Washington Gaga disputed, claiming that the party actually owes workers a seventeen months’ salary arrears.

Hwende also told workers that the NSC resolved to pay workers in RTGS which the workers contested. They accused Hwende of lying saying the NSC has not yet fully constituted.

The workers demanded to be paid in USD arguing that their salaries had been eroded by inflation. They went on to accuse Hwende of changing the USD on black market in order to give them RTGS $. One worker shouted that he knew Hwende had a girlfriend who deals in foreign currency.

Political analysts have also lambasted Chamisa`s double standards saying that the MDC is on record promising workers that they would be handsomely paid once he get into power.

One of the MDC party Vice President, Tendai Biti is also on record bragging that he has global connections who can give him money to revive the economy. Political analysts say Biti must use the connections to get money for the party workers.

MDC Secretary General said that the party is also going to reduce the number of Directors from 13 to 9 to avoid duplication of duties.

However, the Directors are crying foul saying the leadership should lead by example since there is already a bloated presidium comprising of three deputy presidents.

Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and Lynet Karenyikore were elected vice-presidents during the party’s recent elective congress.