10 April, 2025Over 2,000 workers at Rio Zim have not been paid wages for over five months and the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) says the workers and their families are on the verge of starvation as they do not have money to buy food and other basics.
Rio Zim which owns Cam & Motor Mine, Renco Mine and Murowa Diamonds says it is facing operational and financial challenges and has sent most of the workers on leave. Only a few workers in the security and engineering departments are going to work. this is not the first time that Rio Zim has defaulted on wages. According to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, in 2022 workers went on strike after they were not paid also for five months at Murowa Diamonds.
Rio Zim, which is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, is a mining and metals company that owns gold mines, a nickel refinery and has stakes in coal mining and processing of copper and platinum group metals. Rio Zim became a Zimbabwean owned company when it separated from Rio Tinto plc.
According to ZDAMWU, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, the workers have run out of money for food and school fees for their children. ZDAMWU has 1,167 members at Rio Zim.
“This prolonged period of unpaid wages is creating a humanitarian crisis that is affecting workers, their families and surrounding communities leading to severe financial hardships and emotional distress,”
said Justice Chinhema, ZDAMWU general secretary. The union has written to the ministry of labour to intervene.
Responding to the union plea, Rio Zim gave food parcels to workers on 9 April. While ZDAMWU welcomed the food parcels, the union insisted that Rio Zim must pay the outstanding wages to improve the workers’ plight. The food parcels are worth only US$20 when a general worker for instance earns $372 per month.
ZDAMWU has taken the case to the National Employment Council(NEC) of the Mining Industry which is made up of employers and employees of mining industry as defined by Zimbabwe’s Labour Act. The NEC promotes industrial harmony through collective bargaining, dispute resolution and setting up minimum conditions of employment.
Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa said:
“Rio Zim must stop sacrificing workers’ livelihoods when faced with financial difficulties but instead they should adopt strategies that protect workers’ wages and benefits.”