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Eric Bloc article insensitive to workers' plight
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
November 17, 2008

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions is outraged by the article written by Eric Bloc in the Zimbabwe Independent of November 14-20 2008 titled 'Labour bent on suicide.'

In his article Bloc berates labour for asking for remuneration in foreign currency. He describes the move by labour as "going overboard" and unlawful. His reasons being that a very large number of businesses are not engaged in exports and do not earn foreign currency.

What Bloc decides to ignore is where ordinary workers are supposed to source foreign currency as they are now being forced to buy basic commodities in forex after scores of shops were granted licenses to sell goods in foreign currency. Even those goods that are still being sold in local currency are pegged in line with the United States dollar hence prices go up on a daily basis and even sometimes twice a day.

The ZCTU stands by its demands that workers be paid in foreign currency or the forex shops be done away with. What is happening is that only the rich and business executives have access to basic commodities while workers starve yet they are the ones that are keeping the cogs of industry, what is left of it, moving. Bloc cannot expect labour to do nothing when such inequalities continue. What makes matters worse is that even those workers who work for businesses that have been licensed to sell their goods in foreign currency earn peanuts in local currency. Where is the justification, we ask?

Bloc should have said the same to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor when he gave licenses to business owners to sell goods in foreign currency. All is fair and fine when its businesses that are making profits. But when workers demand that they be given a living wage, in this case, in foreign currency, businesses cry foul. Workers go to work to earn a living and not to subsidize their employers.

The demand for remuneration in foreign currency is just and legitimate. It is either the dollarization is done away with or workers wages are paid in United States Dollar. We stand by this demand.

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