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Legal Monitor - Issue 43
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
May 03, 2010

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Workers issue ultimatum

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has issued an ultimatum to the transitional coalition government and employers to improve salaries and working conditions. The government, the biggest formal employer, pays civil servants a monthly salary of between $150 and $200.

ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo told workers at a rally to mark International Workers Day last Saturday that the labour union would organise job actions to compel employers and the government to reward workers by paying them a minimum living wage of $500 a month. Matombo said the labour union would protest against the high levels of taxation and lack of access to the life prolonging anti-retroviral drugs
(ARV)'s. Both employers and employees are struggling with lost production hours due to the ravages of HIV/AIDS.

"Income tax should be lowered and ARV's should just not be availed to connected and influential people but to those who deserve them," said Matombo.

The trade union leader gave the government and employers up to the end of July to wrap up the current collective bargaining process. Matombo said workers would take action if this deadline was not met.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who launched his political career on the back of the ZCTU, sat at the high table as Matombo berated the transitional government's failure to improve workers' conditions.

"Everything (collective bargaining) should be finished by July. We are going to take to the streets," said Matombo.

Matombo echoed calls by civil society leaders at the commemorations for the repealing of harsh laws such as the Access to Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act and the Criminal Codification (Reform Act), which have been abused by the police to stifle the activities of labour and civil society organisations. The ZCTU President said Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe's coalition government had failed to resolve the decade-long political and economic crisis.

"We are not happy with the government. Fourteen months (since the formation of the government) has been enough for the government to solve the economic and political crisis. Tamboshingirira. Asi patavakuenda pakati shatei. We want to toyi toyi very soon. (We have been tolerant but we are losing our patience and we will soon embark on anti-government protests," said Matombo. Matombo said his union would campaign against politicians who were advocating for the freezing of workers' salaries.

"No one should freeze salaries. Zvakaipa izvozvo. (That's a wrong attitude). We are still getting interferences even under the inclusive government. This must stop. Interference is a serious issue. We are reporting the statement of freezing salaries to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)," he said.

Tsvangirai, a fiery ZCTU secretary-general before forming the Movement for Democratic Change, attended the celebrations together with several government ministers, including Labour Minister Paurina Mpariwa. In his speech, Tsvangirai promised workers that no freeze would be imposed on their salaries.

Tsvangirai cautioned against ill thought indigenisation policies.

"Zvejambanja zvakaitwa kumapurazi. Haungaiti jambanja pacompany pausina kuisa cent. Ngatizivei zvatirikuita because we are not the last investment destination in the world.
(The violence that accompanied farm invasions should not extent to industries.)

Mupariwa said a bill to harmonise labour laws would be pushed through in parliament

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