By Correspondent
The Arbitration Court has ordered Marondera Municipality to reinstate 76 of the 102 voluntary workers who were retrenched in January.
Opposition Councillors fired the workers so that they replace them with their own supporters.
Marondera has a provision allowing each councilor to bring a certain number of people from his ward to be employed as voluntary workers.
The workers are usually given short term contracts.
However, the fired workers filed a case against Council.
In his ruling passed on 16 April, the arbitrator, one DS Chinoperekwei, said Council was at fault.
“Having considered all the arguments and explanations given on the case in casu, I have concluded this.
“That the claimants were fixed term contract workers.
“They had a legitimate expectation to be re-engaged, that some people were engaged in place of the claimants.
Chinoperekwei said the claimants were therefore unfairly dismissed.
Thus, the arbitrator ordered council to reinstate the workers and pay them their full benefits.
“Wherefore after carefully analysing the facts and the law, I make the following.
“Award-to reinstate the claimants with full pay and benefits from the date of dismissal up to the date of the award.
“If reinstatement is no longer possible, the respondent is ordered to pay damages in lieu of reinstatement.
“For quantification of damages, the parties to approach the same quote,” reads the award.
This means that the workers are to get five months salary.
The affected workers were represented by lawyer, Douglas Mwonzora while council was represented by their one Pesanai.
