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ZCTU tables national stay away for August 2007
SW Radio Africa
July 25, 2007

http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/ZCTU230707.htm

The national labour mother body in the country, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is scheduling a national stay away for early next month. The stay away is meant to pressurize the government towards addressing the plight of workers who are living in squalor.

The ZCTU is among other things demanding for the government to address the following issues:

The government must accord a remuneration system which is in tandem with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL). As of May 2007, before the price blitz, the PDL was pegged at 5.5 million whilst civil servants such as teachers were earning Z$2 million per month. Farm workers are earning Z$96 000 per month in what the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR) has produced a report in which they have argued is legalized slavery. Reduction of Income tax to a maximum of 30% The government must address the spiral circle of inflation which is adversely affecting the workforce. Zimbabwe's inflation rate has been ranked the highest in the world, currently pegged at 4 500%. The government must address the unemployment levels currently pegged at 85%

The labour body will announce the actual dates of the action in due cause. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is in solidarity with the labour's position. The government of Zimbabwe has lost interest in addressing the plight of workers. The same is true for the retired workers who are now living lives of destitute ass their pension packages have been eroded by the hyper-inflation environment which the Zimbabwean government is presiding over. The government of Zimbabwe, just like any other government in the world has an obligation of facilitating an environment that is conducive for both the workers and the business for the benefit of the nation at large.

Meanwhile.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Law and Order Section has not yet followed up on the case of the ZCTU Secretary General Wellington Chibebe, in which the police are alleging that he made subversive utterances at May Day celebrations at Rufaro Stadium in Harare. The police argued that the case is being handled by one Officer Chikuwe who is stationed in Chivu.

The silence over the case is suspicious, especially when the labour body is planning a stay away. The police are likely to resuscitate its case towards the stay away to intimidate the ZCTU leadership from going ahead with the intended action.

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