Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) has tabled plans to stage a crippling demonstration across the country’s banking sector over denial by the employers to award a salary increase.
The developments come on the back of the rising cost of living prompting unending salary hike demands by the working class in a last ditch bid to earn a decent living.
A leaked letter dated October 31 2024, addressed to the Bank Employers Association of Zimbabwe (BEAZ) chairman, the ZIBAWU secretary general, Peter Mutasa revealed the plans to demonstrate.
“We hereby notify you of our intention to embark on collective job action upon expiry of the mandatory seven working days’ notice.
“This notice is given in light of our failure to agree on a salary increment for the banking undertaking. You are aware that parties remain deadlocked with BEAZ offering 0% salary increase and 0% shift on the US$ threshold, whereas ZIBAWU is demanding a modest 20% salary increase and a movement of the US$ threshold to 80%,” he said in the letter.
Mutasa said the intended job action will take various forms including sit in , sit out, strike, boycott , picket, social media campaigns , demonstrations at designated places or any other concerted action that we may decide to take.
“Please note that we will only embark on any of these actions subject to adherence to all the other compulsory provisions of the Act. We hope you will be able to avert this intended action by acceding to our humble demand,” he added.
In a related development, the workers group has also instructed workers committee’s chairpersons across Zimbabwe to conduct secret ballot voting for the industrial action to take pace in accordance with the law.
