ZCTU to go ahead with stay away

By Lance Guma
22 March 2007

A stay away being planned by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) will go ahead despite governments attempts to destabilize the union and its protest plans. The ZCTU has called for a stay away on the 3rd and 4th of April to press government to address the economic meltdown. ZCTU Secretary General Wellington Chibhebhe told Newsreel a group of ‘so-called unions’ met with Zanu PF structures in Marondera and are trying to mobilize people in the rural areas who will be offloaded in Harare to intimidate people into going to work on the two days of the strike.

Chibhebhe was referring to affiliate unions calling themselves Concerned Affiliates of ZCTU who criticised the union for allegedly meddling in politics and failing to address workers concerns. At a meeting in Marondera on Saturday the renegade group issued statements criticising the planned stay away and condemning what they called illegal sanctions. The unions that form this new, pro-government rebel group are; the Commercial Workers' Union, Associated Mine Workers' Union, Zimbabwe Leather, Shoe and Allied Workers' Union, Zimbabwe Construction Workers' Union and the Transport and General Workers' Union.

Chibhebhe says they remain undeterred by the infiltration and the brutality shown by police in crushing meetings and rallies of opposition and civic groups. ‘People are raring to go and stay home,’ he said adding, ‘our guys are on the ground disseminating information about the stay away.’ He said they would continue spreading the information to increase the resolve of their members and hope it will counter manoeuvres by government to sabotage their plans.

Asked if they did not risk endangering their members given events in the past few weeks Chibhebhe said, ‘we are more threatened by hunger than those who are physically going to threaten people.’ He urged workers to stay in doors and not leave their homes on the days of the strike arguing this would ensure the police could not brutalise them. ‘They are safer in their homes than outside their homes,’ he said.