Back to Index

ZCTU mobilises for strike
Chengetai Zvauya, Daily News
January 22, 2012

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/index.php/news/34-news/6673-zctu-mobilises-for-strike.html

A break-away faction of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has appealed to the workers in the private sector to join civil servants in a crippling strike.

Lovemore Matombo, who leads the faction, said joining the civil servants in their planned week-long strike which starts tomorrow, was in the best interests of all workers.

Matombo said it makes sense to strike for wages in line with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) currently pegged at US$546.

'We want the workers to get into the streets supporting the civil servants next week. It is now time to fight for a better wage from our employers," said Matombo while addressing a meeting at Raylton Sports Club in Harare on Friday.

Matombo's ZCTU faction is holding labour forums countrywide mobilising workers to participate in a national strike they are planning.

"We have informed Minister of Public Service Lucia Matibenga of our intention of having a strike, and we are not afraid of being arrested by the police in our action as we have to make sacrifices for us to be paid the money above the PDL scale," said Matombo.

"We are going to be informing you in your workplace when we are going to embark on the strike action. Let's first support the civil servants in their cause because we are all workers and we are feeling the effects of the economic hardships,'' said Matombo.

Raymond Majongwe, the secretary-general of the Matombo-led ZCTU faction, also encouraged other workers to amplify the civil servants' strike action by joining in tomorrow.

"The time for disjointed sporadic labour strikes is over. We need to work together and deal with employers once for all,'' said Majongwe.

"Our union, the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), is working together with other civil servants' trade unions like Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (Zimta) to take the government head-on in demanding a better wage.

"We are now encouraging industrial workers to do the same to join us and we can march in the streets so our point can be heard by our employers," said Majongwe.

The planned industrial action by public workers is likely cripple government business and could plunge the economy into a crisis, if successful.

On Thursday, business at several government departments such as the Registrar General's office was low as the workers went on a one-day strike.

Government workers say negotiations for better pay between their representative body, the Apex Council and the government, have failed accusing Matibenga of lacking concern over their issues.

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