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Resolutions of the 6th ZCTU congress
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
June 01, 2006

Final communique
We, the delegates attending the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union’s 6^th Ordinary Conference held at the Celebration Centre in Harare from 19 – 20 May 2006, observed, resolved and recommended on the following with respect to the future of the National Centre,

Having

• Discussed the General Council Report.
• Discussed the Trustees and Treasure General’s Report.

Appreciating

• The assistance received from cooperating partners and Trade Union fraternity towards the preparations of the Congress.
• The solidarity of the international community and trade union fraternity to the cause.

Noting

• The continued intimidation and harassment of trade union activists by state agents.
• The politicization of trade union activities by government.
• The banning of ZCTU activities by state agents.
• The absence of genuine Tripartism on the part of Government and employers.
• The effects of globalization on the working people.
• The appalling working conditions of farm workers.

Lamenting

• The prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the working people.
• The absence of a transparent mechanism for the distribution of anti-retrovirals to the working population.
• The collapse of the health delivery systems.
• The absence of worker’s representatives in statutory bodies on HIV/AIDS, like the National Aids Council.
• The absence of HIV/AIDS and health and safety policies at the workplace.
• The little importance attached to June 6 on Occupational Health and Safety Day.
• The absence of correct justifiable statistics on HIV/AIDS prevalence.

Observing

• The absence of a sustainable social protection system.
• The appalling pension funds paid to retired and injured workers by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
• The growing rate of unemployment in Zimbabwe.
• The poor industrial wages paid to workers.
• That wage negotiations at sectoral level are yielding no positive results on Poverty Datum Line linked wages.
• The absence of a ZCTU position paper on negotiations at sectoral level.

Condemning

• The deportation of international observers to the Congress; Alice Siame, Nina Mjoberg, Jani Mahlangu and Zwelinzima Vavi.
• This patent violation of trade union rights.

Also noting

• That there are limited resources for training, educational and membership recruitment programmes.
• The failure by unions to amalgamate so as to improve on viability.
• The law levels of subscriptions paid to the National Centre.
• The absence of a standard service charge to be paid by non-union members.

Realizing

• The absence of a concise educational policy.
• The absence of a Labour College for worker’s training activities.
• The absence of a mechanism for affiliates to contribute to educational programmes carried out by the National Centre.
• The absence of a Parliamentary desk for advocacy and lobbying.

Also observing

• The absence of training programmes for the Informal Economy on their human and labour rights and municipal laws.
• The absence of organizers in the informal economy.
• The retrogressive amendments to the Labour Act, which defeated the harmonization process of labour laws.
• The retrogressive Supreme Court judgments on workers fundamental rights.
• The non-appointment of trade union activists trained as Arbitrators through the ILO/SWISS project.
• The unaffordability of sanitary towels.
• Inadequate maternity benefits and protection for working women.

CONGRESS RECOMMENDED THAT;

Government

• Must harmonize labour laws in Zimbabwe through appropriate legislation.
• Must restore the fundamental rights of workers particularly maternity protection through amending the existing laws.
• Must give legal standing to the Tripartite Negotiating Forum decisions so that they become binding on all parties.
• Must be genuine in tripartite negotiations.
• Must stop violating human and trade union rights.
• Must review and reconsider the National Social Security Authority pensions payable to workers or the families as a matter of urgency.
• Consider the proposal of a ZCTU representative on the National AIDS Council Board as per the NAC Act.
• Must intervene on the plight of farm workers as it is not sustainable.
• Must stop politicizing worker’s activities and functions.
• Must put in place an accountable and transparent mechanism for the distribution of ARVs.
• Must uphold, respect and promote good governance.
• Must repeal POSA, AIPPA which heavily encroach on the fundamental freedoms of rights of employees.
• Must mainstream gender in the workplace by promoting maternity protection for all.
• Must ratify and incorporate ILO Conventions international law particularly on maternity protection.

Congress recommended that;

Employers

• Must be ready to negotiate PDL linked wages at sectoral level.
• Must reconsider the working conditions of farm workers.
• Must continue to fight against child labour.
• Must be genuine in Tripartite negotiations.
• Must fight against corruption at the workplace.
• Must fairly share the gains of productivity with workers.
• Develop HIV/AIDS and health and safety policies at the workplace.

Congress resolved that;

• All affiliate unions must put in place structures for the recruitment of young workers and develop a young workers policy.
• Must contribute towards educational programmes conducted by the National Centre.
• Must endeavour to amalgamate so as to improve on viability.
• Must organize more work place based meetings which are cost effective.
• Must pay their subscriptions on time, produce regular audits and hold congresses as per their constitutions.
• Must display inter-union solidarity in times of hardships faced by fellow unions.
• Must keep records of their membership.
• Must undertake studies on the state of their sectors, create a culture of information gathering and exchange of the same.
• Must develop proactive measures to safeguard employment, promote the decent work agenda and an employment-intensive growth path for their respective sectors by 2008.
• Must increase membership by 20% in the next five years.
• Must be transparent and accountable to membership.
• Must abide by and promote democratic practices at all levels.
• Must build internal capacities to achieve full unionization of their sectors and service membership effectively by 2010.
• Must continue to fight for the realization of the fundamental rights of employees especially with respect to organising, strike and collective bargaining.

It futher resolved that;

The National Centre

• Must continue to fight for the harmonization of all labour laws.
• Must continue to fight for PDL linked wages at TNF level.
• Must develop a standard position paper on negotiating PDL linked wages at sectoral level.
• Must develop a young worker policy for adoption by affiliate unions.
• Must continue championing workers concerns at the Tripartite Negotiating Forum.
• Must advocate for the legalization of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum.
• Must engage Government on the appalling NSSA pensions and programmes for workers and their families.
• Must continue to train affiliates on critical issues such as membership recruitment, shopsteward development and handling of trade union finances.
• Must lobby Government on the issue of services charges to non-union members.
• Must raise subscriptions to realistic levels.
• Must in conjunction with affiliates organize more workplace based meetings.
• Must establish worker’s committee forums at Regional and District level.
• Must develop a membership record keeping system for adoption/ use by affiliates.
• Must establish a fund to cater for;
  
  

• Legal Costs for those arrested during ZCTU actions.
• Medical costs to cover the injured and sick during ZCTU actions and detentions.
• Victims fund to cover loss of wages and personal effects for those detained and or dismissed during ZCTU called actions.
• Education fund to cater for all year round training activities.

• Must provide better incentives for motivating staff.
• Must call for a bi-annual evaluation of activities and plans of action.
• Must utilize all trained shop-stewards.
• Must fight for representation in the National Aids Council Board.
• Must carry out researches on HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in order to correct and justify statistics by other organisations and Government.
• Must continue with campaign for the repeal of draconian laws such as POSA, AIPPA.
• Must continue with the fight for a transparent, accountable and efficient distribution of free ARVs.
• Must continue to demand for the protection of jobs, treatment, care and rehabilitation of workers living with HIV/AIDS.
• Must call for the immediate review of the current legislation on HIV/AIDS (SI2002/98).
• Must establish effective information desks in the regional structures.
• Must continue to fight for the shrinking space, freedoms and rights of the working people in Zimbabwe.
• Must continue to fight for the fundamental rights of employees as enshrined in ILO conventions regional and national laws.
• Must mainstream gender at all levels and a ZCTU gender policy must be adopted.
• Must not be divided on political lines.
• Must fight against corruption.
• Must standardize the service charge for non-union members.
• Must develop and adopt a policy to address the ever-deteriorating public health delivery system.
• Must build or buy a worker’s college.
• Must develop a concise educational policy.
• Must in conjunction with Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA) document abuses of worker’s rights in the informal economy.
• Must develop a working paper on amalgamation of affiliate unions.
• Must fight for a better social security system.
• Must improve the mobility of regional structures to service districts.
• Must incorporate the proposed constitutional amendments circulated before the congress to affiliates.
• Must lobby TNF to incorporate women’s issues on the agenda.
• Must engage the judiciary on the impact of judgments to worker’s and their families.
• Must carry out a research on the consequences of retrogressive Supreme Court judgments on workers and their families.
• Must work towards the eradication of worst forms of child

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