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Statement
on International Workers Day
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
April
29, 2010
The National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA) joins the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and the working class people
of this world in commemorating this year's May Day (Workers
Day) on the 1st of May 2010 being held under the theme 'Forward
ever! Backwards Never! Workers intensify the struggle.'
The day comes at a time
when the majority of the workers in Zimbabwe are still yearning
for better living conditions, better remuneration, despite the fact
that the nation now has an inclusive government. Surprisingly, Harare's
coalition government boasts of having former trade union leaders
who seem to be doing little in addressing the plight of the working
class.
As if it is not enough,
the workers of Zimbabwe continue to bear the brunt of economic repression.
Thousands are facing retrenchments, the paltry civil servants salaries
were frozen and the rising inflation and the high cost of living
are a tip of the iceberg of many of the problems confronting the
workers of this country.
The relationship of the
NCA and the labour movement dates back to 1997 when the NCA was
formed, and the relationship strengthened day by day.
As the NCA we
note and salute the crucial role played by the ZCTU in shaping the
course of the struggle in the last decade. It was in February of
1999 that the ZCTU and other key alliance partners namely the National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and the students' movement ZINASU
were part of the historic National Working People's Convention
(NWPC), an event which among other things adopted strategies to
address problems faced by the working people of Zimbabwe.
Most importantly, one
of the key resolutions passed by the convention was on the writing
of a people's constitution, and it was clearly spelt out that
the process should be written through a commission accountable to
a conference of representatives of elected, civil and other social
groups.
The NCA has
continued to work side-by-side with the labour movement in the trenches
as we are still glued by the same principles that brought us together
in 1999 at the National Working Peoples Convention.This has also
seen us being key allies in the 1st Peoples Constitutional Convention
and the historic February 2008 Zimbabwe People's Convention
that authored the Zimbabwe
Peoples Charter and the recent 2nd
Peoples Constitutional Convention of July 2009 in our quest
to have a democratic Zimbabwe that will guarantee full workers rights.
As an alliance partner
with the ZCTU, we are proud that the NWPC gave birth to the only
formidable political party that posed the biggest threat to end
Mugabe's many years of misrule. This party is the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC).
It is from this background
that we urge our child in the inclusive government (MDC) not to
forget where it came from and thus they should strive for better
salaries, improvement in service delivery, free education and health
to all Zimbabweans and better working conditions for the betterment
of our nation.
In conclusion the NCA
urges the workers of Zimbabwe to remain focused and united in fighting
against poverty, inequality, low wages and salaries, lack of job
security, elimination of subsidised political and social repression
and the suppression of human dignity and continue pushing for a
genuine, new democratic and people- driven constitution.
Visit the NCA
fact
sheet
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