The United Food and Allied Workers Unions of Zimbabwe (UFAWUZ) has been reportedly on a prowl in the eastern border town where some employees at Bakers Inn outlets, Golly Bakery and TM Supermarkets have fallen prey to its unorthodox organising antics.

FFAWUZ revealed that UFAWUZ have no jurisdiction to operate in the bakery and food processing industry pointing out that the union is not registered to cover the sectors.

‘’UFAWUZ does not have registered member unions in the bakery and food processing sector. It is operating as a bogus union and is mainly targeting unsuspecting employees. Only FFAWUZ has bonafide member trade unions duly registered in the sectors and are; the Baking Industrial Workers Union and the Food Processing and Allied Workers Union,’’ said FFAWUZ Acting Eastern Regional Officer, Ashford Mariga.

He expressed concern that one UFAWUZ front lady identified as Blandina Binde masquerades the union as legitimate to the workers alleging she at some outlets manipulated FFAWUZ members to unlawfully renounce membership.

‘’We established that at some workstations the union have been working in cahoots with senior staffers who are then bribed to incite juniors to defect from FFAWUZ,’’ he said.

Some employees at Golly Bakery in the town lamented that they were left in the cold by the union after their company down sized recently alleging that they were not given meaningful representation.

‘’We long suspected that UFAWUZ had links with management. Despite seeing them regularly coming to collect dues from management each month end, they never attended to our non -payment of wages for over 8 months despite numerous calls for an intervention by the union,’’ said a former employee at Golly Bakery who requested not his name to be mentioned.

FFAWUZ Regional Officer said workers should be wary of individuals who only seek to swindle worker’s hard earned cash through the so called unions.

‘’A bonafide union train members, educate, represent and advance their interest at the workplace. FFAWUZ has since established an office here in Mutare and we are sifting our industry of bad syndicates masquerading as unionists,’’ he said adding that litigation against the union was already in progress.

FFAWUZ, a Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions’ (ZCTU) affiliate, is the country’s largest food federation union in the country with affiliate member unions namely; Baking Industrial Workers Union, Food Processing Workers Union, Soft Drinks Manufacturing Workers Union, Meat Fish Workers Union, Detergents, Edible Oils and Fats Workers Union, Biscuits Manufacturing Workers Union, Milling and Allied Workers Union and the Sugar Milling and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe.