Back to Index

Suspension of 135 workers by ZESA
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
January 11, 2007

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is disturbed by the actions of power utility ZESA of suspending 135 workers for participating in a collective job action to press for a meaningful wage review. The workers have been suspended without pay and other benefits.

The workers' demands for a salary increment of 1 150 percent are justified given the fact that the poverty datum line now stands at $351 000 when the least paid at ZESA is getting a paltry $23 000. The 144 percent offered by management is a mere slap in the face for workers. It is unfair for the employer to suspend workers when the wage dispute has been referred for arbitration.

It seems management at the parastatal have take an anti-workers stance as evidenced by the utterances of ZESA Holdings general manager for corporate communications, Mr. James Maridadi. He is quoted in the press as saying ZESA management would not tolerate "barbaric" behaviour from its employees. Such a statement clearly smacks of a lack of understanding of the principles of labour relations. A strike action of any nature can never be described as barbaric as workers have a right to collective job action.

This type of attitude by management can not be tolerated by workers and the ZCTU fully backs the Zimbabwe Electricity and Energy Workers' Union (ZEEWU) stance that the suspensions undermine the arbitration process and are unnecessary.

The ZCTU would like to urge the ZESA management to speedily reinstate all the workers as any delays are tantamount to disregarding the principles of labour relations and a violation of human and trade union rights.

W Chibebe
Secretary General

Visit the ZCTU fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP