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Factmore Dzobo and Oliver Kazunga Senior Reporters—
ZIMBABWE Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) affiliates aligned to the faction led by Lovemore Matombo, converged at St Patrick’s Primary School in Makokoba yesterday, to commemorate Workers Day calling on employers to take workers seriously by awarding them salaries above the Poverty Datum Line (PDL).

The ZCTU split into two factions last year, one under Matombo and another led by George Nkiwane.
Workers unions affiliate’s regional chairperson, Nqabile Nkala, read ZCTU president Matombo’s speech.

The commemorations, which were held under the theme: “Eradicate Corruption, Agitate for PDL and Strengthening Labour Unity and Independence” focused on the improvement of working conditions and salaries for both civil servants and private sector employees.

The speech also highlighted the need for the government to fight corruption and create a good investment environment to create employment.

“It is necessary for workers and all progressive forces and the government to unite and fight against corruption. We are demanding the employers to offer all employees above Poverty Datum Line salaries. The government also needs to go back to the Kadoma Declaration and engage relevant stakeholders that foster investment policies to create employment for the people,” said Matombo.

Matombo added that the government’s new economic blueprint, Zim-Asset has brought some issues worth mentioning such as beneficiation and value addition which is an economic strategy that has been missing since independence. He said most countries that have a growth strategy have included beneficiation and value addition.

Speaking at the same occasion, a member of the Civil Services Employees Association (CSEA), Simon Dube said it was time ZCTU and the labour unions achieved the desired results because workers are suffering and hope for better lives.

“As workers we demand ZCTU to take us seriously.  We are suffering and we expect the unions to fight for us. Surely the workers’ unions have done a disservice to most of us workers,” said Dube.

The president of the National Council of Disabled Persons (NCDPZ), Obadiah Moyo, said employers should also recognise the right of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others. He said the new constitution outlaws discrimination of workers on the basis of disability.

Among some of the workers’ unions aligned to Matombo who attended include Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (Zewu), Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Zimbabwe Leather, Shoe and Allied Workers Union (ZLSAWU), Civil Services Employees Association (CSEA), Zimbabwe Graphical Workers Union (ZGWU), and Communications and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CASWUZ).

Divisions within the ZCTU still exist as the two warring factions held separate functions, with the George Nkiwane led faction holding its commemorations at White City Stadium.

Meanwhile, MDC-T has lost its popularity as it has destroyed the objectives of the labour movement by abandoning the workers, rival ZCTU president, Nkiwane said yesterday.

In a speech read on his behalf by the third vice-president of the Nkiwane faction, Peter Mutasa during Workers’ Day celebrations at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, he said the MDC-T had forgotten that its roots were deeply rooted in trade unionism.

He said this has weakened the opposition political party. “The opposition is not in a better position either, with the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai fighting for his political life as calls for his resignation increase. This has left the opposition party weaker and badly bruised,” he said.

Both ZCTU’s Bulawayo Workers Day celebrations were poorly attended at White City Stadium and St Patrick’s Primary School.
Nkiwane added: “During the period under review, one of our allies, the National Constitutional Assembly decided to metamorphose into a political party without consulting stakeholders. The ZCTU believes this was an individual decision and we condemn it,” he said.

Digressing from the official speech, Mutasa said: “The MDC-T has abandoned the workers forgetting that it was formed through trade unionism as a result this has left the political party weakened.”

Turning to the economic situation, Nkiwane said the economy was in a fragile state and ZCTU was prepared to work with whatever administration that was in place.

“The country risk factors are still very high with stagnant industrialisation and poorly capitalised markets. There is no job creation to talk about, unemployment remains very high and retrenchments are the order of the day since the last elections,” said Nkiwane.
In light of the challenges facing the economy, he said ZCTU calls for the involvement and formalisation of the informal economy.

The government, through the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Co-operative Development ministry has already started the formalisation of the sector.

Formalisation of the informal sector was aimed at improving the economic situation through tapping into an estimated $7, 4 billion which is said to be circulating in the informal sector.