Staff Writer
ZIMBABWE Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) demonstration preparations are set to kick off this week through Consultative Labour Forums to be rolled out across the country’s major cities, Humanitarian Post can reveal.
A copy of the Memorandum dated February 20 2020 in our possession signed by the ZCTU secretary general, Japhet Moyo directed to several stakeholders in the labour fraternity confirms the developments.
“The above subject refers, the ZCTU shall be conducting labour forums in the six regional capitals of Zimbabwe with the objective of updating members, workers committees, residents and citizens on the current economic, social political environment with regards to labour and the ongoing negotiations taking place in the Tripartite Negotiations Forum (TNF),” the memo said.
The forums which will be run from the 25th of February 2020 to March 5 2020 at the union’s offices in Bulawayo, Masvingo ,Chinhoyi ,Gweru and Harare are expected to garner nationwide support for the impending action .
“In this regard, your assistance through mobilization of your trade union members, workers committees, women committees and young workers to attend the labour forums in their numbers is called for,” added the memo.
The comes in line with the union’s highest decision making council in between congresses, the ZCTU General Council’s directive giving the greenlight for a mass demonstration on the back of economic turmoil which has seen workers salaries being eroded by inflation.
The union has also called on government to gazette the minimum salaries for general workers to at $3.800 per month which translates to around US$130 a month using the current parallel market rates.
The demonstration plans come at a time when President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has maintained a tight lock down on civic society organisations intending to stage demonstrations.
This week Human rights defenders and the opposition MDC expressed concern over Zimbabwe Republic Police decision to go after people suspected of having taken part in a surprise demonstration which took place last week.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said even schoolchildren had been caught up in the operation.
“Authorities have stepped up their onslaught against dissent after arresting a total of 47 people in one day for allegedly participating in anti-government protests over the country’s worsening political and economic crisis,” the ZLHR said.
