Cement workers fight for skills development and relocation to secure jobs

Name

Anonymous

Union

Cement, Lime and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CLAWUZ)

Job title

Cement workers

TUC Worker-Led Transition Project

The TUC worker-led transition project partners with manufacturing workers to futureproof industrial jobs. This case study is part of a worker-led transitions series, highlighting international examples where workers across sectors are playing an important role in the transition of their workplaces, helping to secure good quality work and shape their industries into the future.

Site details

Site name: Sino-Zimbabwe
Operator: Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company (SZCC)
Location: Lalpanzi, Gweru, Zimbabwe
Country: Zimbabwe
Date: 2010 - Present

How cement workers are fighting for environmental health and workforce upskilling in the decarbonisation of their industry

Context

Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company (SZCC) is a joint venture between China Buildings Materials Corporation and Zimbabwe’s Industrial Development Corporation – a state-owned institution promoting industrial development. 1 Established in 2001, the company is located in the Midlands Province in Gweru, Zimbabwe. 2 Since its creation, SZCC has grown to capture approximately 15% of Zimbabwe’s cement market, and has diversified into the production of bricks and tiles.

The workforce comprises around 350 workers, including more than 200 permanent staff. Around 50% of workers are organised in the Cement, Lime and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CLAWUZ) which is actively involved at both workplace and national-level negotiations. At the site, workers participate in representative bodies including the workers’ committee (appointed by the workforce to represent their interests) and the Works Council - a committee comprised of equal numbers of worker and management representatives. 3

1 https://idc.co.zw
2 https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=sino+cement+zimbabwe&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
3 The workers’ committee is appointed by the workforce to represent and advance their interest. Discussions may include changes that affect business structure and cause threats to existence of jobs. It is the duty of the committee to advance alternative proposals to mitigate the effect of such changes. In order to save jobs, workers committee can propose relocation to new jobs as well as training on the new job. The Works Council is a committee comprised of an equal number of employee representative and management representatives and has a broader scope in its function – including strategic discussions, organisational policies, operational changes, employee welfare, promoting cooperation with management and addressing workplace issues.

The challenge

Traditional cement production is responsible for around 8% of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. 4 In Zimbabwe, greenhouse gas emissions from the sector have been steadily increasing – partly linked to a growing demand for cement and concrete due to urbanisation and infrastructure developments. Despite this, there are limited tracking or mitigation measures in place. 5 Zimbabwe also experiences major power outages, resulting from ageing energy infrastructure and a slow transition to renewable energy, which is negatively affecting cement production sites across the country. 6 Amid growing pressure from Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and local communities, SZCC has begun to take steps to reduce emissions from its cement production.

Between 2013-2019, SZCC made upgrades aimed at increasing productivity and reducing emissions from the site, including a full refurbishment of the cement mill and kiln, automation and modernisation to increase clinker production by 40%, and the installation of high-temperature dust bag filters to reduce dust pollution. 7

The company has also faced community pressure due to the impacts of pollution on declining agricultural productivity near the plant. The agricultural economy in surrounding areas has been negatively affected by cement dust emissions, reducing crop yields. In 2010, an environmental inspection triggered by local community complaints resulted in a temporary shutdown of the plant. 8 Dust suppression technologies were introduced including modern dust collectors and bag filters: “This included dust collectors that supressed the dust and upgrades for production systems that stopped the dust emissions into the local environment.” – Union Member CLAWU Dust and smoke emissions have now been significantly reduced. Tree planting and land rehabilitation programmes are also undertaken to restore the land surrounding the site.

One of the most critical challenges facing the company continues to be power reliability. Frequent electricity outages prompted SZCC to begin transitioning to solar energy. Initially, solar panels were installed to power the marketing department and tower lights, with plans to expand capacity by 2030 to reduce dependency on coal and the national grid. Feasibility studies are currently being undertaken targeting the use of solar power to run the cement mill and raw meal process. “Solar was introduced after consistent and ongoing power cuts. Solar energy is so far powering certain sections of the plant with the hope of increasing the project by 2030 so that it covers the full side of the production line.” – Union Member, CLAWUZ

To further reduce its carbon footprint and reduce costs for the company, the company is also trialling the use of fly ash – a byproduct of coal burning – as a partial substitute for limestone in cement production with the aim for a full transition by 2030. The company is also improving waste reduction practices, with plans for waste gas from the pre-heating towers to be redirected to the kiln to provide energy for decomposition. There are ongoing trials on the use of other alternative fuels – such as biomass – as a substitute for traditional fossil fuels.

Over the years, the workforce has actively participated in environmental improvements, including local tree-planting initiatives. Many SZCC workers live in nearby communities and have played a key role in building relationships between the company and local residents to address environmental concerns collaboratively. The union is on board with the need to reduce emissions from the plant, as one union member, Shari, shares: “we want to go green as well, and minimise as much as possible the pollutants from our work site.”

However, as SZCC continues its transition, a number of challenges have emerged for the workforce. The shift away from coal towards cleaner technologies poses the risk of reducing the demand for manual labour. Coal-fired operations traditionally require more workers, so phasing out the use of coal signals a direct loss of jobs. As new technologies are introduced, there is a growing risk that workers may be excluded from jobs due to a lack of technical skills, and concerns that SZCC may rely on subcontractors rather than investing in in-house development of skills. The adoption of using fly ash in cement production also requires new training in handling, processing and health and safety measures. Without adequate preparation, these shifts risked displacing workers.

There are also other challenges facing the workforce. Short term contracts are increasingly common in the sector. Despite improvements in emissions control, occupational hazards remain a major concern – particularly exposure to dement dust.

What workers did

CLAWUZ and its workers’ committee have played a key role in advocating for the transition to be fair and inclusive. Early on, workers voiced their concerns about job insecurity and an increased workload in administrative roles due to added environmental compliance duties: “For the administrative staff, the changes come with new responsibilities for recording emissions figures. This increases our workload intensity, and means many of us are working overtime.” – Union Member, CLAWUZ

Discussions were tabled by management through the Works Council – which sits quarterly to discuss key issues. In November 2023, the company outlined its intention to pursue green transition plans to cut emissions and reduce environmental impacts form the site. The employee representatives responded with strong concerns about skills gaps and the risk of job losses due to lack of skills in operating new technologies and reduced need for workers. Through the Works Council, the union put forward a set of demands including – if a role is made redundant due to changes, workers should be re-trained or reassigned / redeployed; and there should be a prioritisation of upskilling for existing workers: “Let’s get them retrained. Laying off should be the last option of the table. Retraining and moving them to another section if needed.” – Union Member, CLAWUZ

Deliberations were undertaken to identify how jobs could be saved and how training could be used to mitigate skills gaps, including to facilitate relocating workers to new sites and new emerging jobs. This resulted in a collaboration with the HR team to develop technical training programmes aligned with the evolving needs of the plant. CLAWUZ has also conducted sensitisation and education workshops to help workers understand the importance of cleaner production methods and to reduce resistance to change, and equip the workers’ committees with negotiation training.

As changes were introduced, in order to avoid layoffs workers were moved to take up new jobs in new locations – for example taking up jobs in loading fly ash. The Works Council also agreed on developing a Relocation Assistance Policy to provide transport and accommodation for affected workers.

How were obstacles overcome

Upfront investment & job security concerns: The measures being introduced require significant upfront investment and there are ongoing concerns that financial pressures associated with the capital-intensive transition could negatively affect wages, benefits and job security. With companies funding initiatives independently without government support, the primary focus is on making a profit. This has raised fears that cost-cutting measures could negatively affect terms and conditions. The union has been proactive in safeguarding employment terms, consistently negotiating with management to protect jobs, maintain benefits and secure salary increments and allowances: “The major fear is whether the company will continue to be faithful to its employees and ensure workers still get what they have been promised, despite some increased costs.” – Union Member, CLAWUZ
Technology & skills gaps: As new technologies are introduced, some workers face difficulties in adapting or transitioning to a lack of relevant training. There are ongoing fears about whether jobs will survive the transition. The union has pressured the company to provide skills development programmes for the workforce.
Union organising: A significant portion of the workforce is employed on short-term contracts – often only lasting a year. This high turnover makes union organising more difficult, as new members constantly need to be recruited and supported.

What was the result

Currently major layoffs of workers have been avoided through retraining and job reallocation. The company has also built a training centre run by the company training and education department to support workers’ transition and adaptation into new jobs.

SZCC is now progressing towards its 2030 green energy targets, with clear commitments to expand solar use and reduce fossil fuel dependence. The next steps for the company are to complete the solar expansion, to scale up trials to reduce coal use, and to continue with skills development for the workforce. CLAWUZ remains actively engaged in ongoing discussions with management to ensure the next phase of the transition upholds workers’ rights and livelihoods.

Success factors & lessons

Worker inclusion in transition planning: Existing union structures enabled worker involvement in all stages of transition planning. Through the workers’ committee, members were able to share concerns and develop demands. The Works Council provided the space for workers and unions to proactively voice their concerns with the company from the start of the process, fostering a collaborative culture and a smoother implementation of measures.
Planning for skills development: Recognising the skills gaps of the workforce, there was proactive planning for skills development through collaborative union-company training initiatives.
Support for worker relocation: Workers who were affected by job changes and were relocated or reassigned were given financial support to ease the transition.

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