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Statement on Workers Day
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
April 30, 2009

The Zimbabwe National Students Union(ZINASU), salutes the workers of Zimbabwe on the occasion of Workers Day on 1 May, a day celebrated by workers world over. The day is a clear demonstration to the hard battles that workers in this country have been fighting and in other parts of the world have waged for workers' rights and social justice over many decades.

It is also a reminder of the many challenges that still confront working people and the poor in Zimbabwe- and which remain obstacles to sustainable human development among all developing nations.

The Zimbabwean working class has been the vanguard of the struggle for a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and united nation. It has understood and always maintained that workplace struggles cannot be separated from broader social struggles; that economic justice and equality cannot be achieved without national independence.

It has argued that these struggles cannot be separated from the struggle for gender equality and, specifically, women's emancipation.

In the 29 years of national independence we pay special tribute to the millions of workers in this country who fought oppression and the sacrifices they made so that we enjoy the right of citizenship in this country.

In the face of this new political dispensation, the Government of National Unity was a welcome development to the workers in this country as it signaled the dawn of a new era, a new Zimbabwe, a new beginning, an era of hope for better livelihood to the majority of the workers in Zimbabwe.

Yet despite the establishment of this new government, poverty, unemployment and under-development remain the starkest legacy of past era -and together constitute the greatest challenge facing our people.

To add salt to the already wounded social fabric, our future workforce, the students continue to bear the brunt. Since the beginning of the year the then government introduced a genocidal fee increase. The fee increase forced a majority of the students to be thrown out of college because of failure to pay these high tuition fees. This is a sad reality indeed when education is now a preserve for the rich.

This is why the students union has remained consistent, fighting side by side with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and providing meaningful solidarity in the struggle for democratic social transformation.

We also note with great concern the proposed privatization of national firms (parastatals) like the Zimbabwe Steel Company (ZISCOSTEEL).The consequences of such a move would be too ghastly to contemplate. Privatization will only result in massive job loses and lead to increased levels of poverty. The students union is currently running a campaign against privatization of education; thus diversifying its struggle to fighting for free health and education for all Zimbabweans inter-alia other social services.

It is in this light, that we should strive for robust economic growth, capital investment, resource mobilization so that we have a massive national job creation. In this regard, there is need to build cordial working relationships across all sectors of our society specifically between government, business, labour, students and communities, on practical steps which can be taken individually and collectively in driving this effort.

We need one another in rebuilding Zimbabwe, this nation does not belong to the politicians alone but it belongs to every citizen whether rich or poor, this is our nation together, it is our country too!

This is the time for the workers' movement everywhere to urgently fight for decisive measures to guarantee jobs, a living wage, decent homes and for free education and health.

We encourage the ZCTU to intensify its struggles for the immediate needs of working people and the poor along with other social movements to transform society against the capitalist system and neo- liberal policies that are not pro-people to ensure a better livelihood for all Zimbabweans!

Fight oppression, fight exploitation, fight injustices, and fight privatization!

Visit the ZINASU fact sheet

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