The 50c Voice of the Labour Movement Established 1988 Issue No: 229 OCTOBER, 2015 Registered a t th Pe G O as a Newspaper Government under fire Zimbabwe not 'hungry enough', for freezing domestic says batting coach workers’ wages PAGE 3 PAGE 16 ZCTU, Gvt gang up against employers ‘.....rare labour, government alliance driven by interests’ decision to be part of the dispute,” he said. BY ADMORE MARAMBANYIKA Moyo blasted the employers for abour will team up with diverting attention from the core issues government to defend a court and taking their case to the wrong platform Lapplication filed by employers adding that the rare alliance of labour and seeking to have some sections of the government was instigated by interests. recently amended Labour Act declared “The employers have taken a wrong unconstitutional, The Worker can reveal. route to have their concerns addressed. We The Secretary general of the Zimbabwe are not sure if it is a matter of ignorance or Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Japhet it could be a delaying tactic because if the Moyo told The Worker that labour was employers felt they had a constitutional shocked by the employers' move of taking issue they should have approached the the matter to court when there were Constitutional Court. We are discussing tripartite negotiations on the recent the issue at the tripartite negotiating forum amendments to the labour law. with all parties raising their concerns. We TheMafu Employers' Confederation of all have issues with the current Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) lodged a High amendments and as social partners we Court order summoning government but believe in dialogue but the employers have Moyo said ZCTU would soon file an opted for confrontation,” he said. enjoinder finally to be part of the defendants as Moyo said labour had some sections the move by the employers would wreak which it was not comfortable with from havoc to its constituency. the recent amendments but was pursuing getsMoyo said labour cannotit stay out of the the negotiation route at TNF. He added issue and pretend as if it's a dispute that despite the decision to side with between the employers and government government, labour was in the process of when workers were the eventual losers. lodging a constitutional court appeal “Ifright employers get it their way, workers against the mass terminations. would be dismissed without benefits and “We have produced a commentary on we are taking a position to be part of the the amendments which we presented to defendants alongside government as an government and other stakeholders and interested party to the dispute whose we are going ahead with a constitutional constituency is under attack. The appeal because the dismissals instigated employers want to dismiss at minimum by the July 17 Judgment infringed on cost but we feel that their stance is not workers' rights and their right to decent justified at all that is why we have made a JAPHET MOYO - ZCTU SECRETARY GENERAL To Page 3 2nd Floor, Gorlon House, 7 Jason Moyo Avenue, Harare 04-2928375/0712747808 Page 2 The Worker, OCTOBER 2015 Mugabe must step down - ZCTU BY CHRISTOPHER MAHOVE workers. it will push workers to “Government has realized the demonstrate because clearly the he Zimbabwe Congress of boob they created in this rushed 30 000 workers are still waiting to Trade Unions (ZCTU) has amendment and are under be paid and we might find Tcalled for the immediate pressure from business to rectify ourselves mobilizing again resignation of President Robert that, especially on the issue of because that will be satanic,” he Mugabe, saying he was too old to retrospection and the need for said. continue at the helm of the those already dismissed whatever Moyo noted that the labour country. way. We know they intend to deal body had advised its affiliate ZCTU Secretary General, with specific issues to deal with unions to take the litigation route Japhet Moyo told The Worker in concerns of business while there and use the available systems “to an interview that President are many other issues which they get their meager two weeks' salary Mugabe's boob at the opening of are not in a hurry to address. The for every year served” before the the third session of the eighth legislative agenda is targeting just law is amended again. parliament was a clear sign the he those two issues,” he said. He said their initial was no longer mentally fit to The ZCTU leader expressed engagements as tripartite partners continue as the country's leader. fear that another amendment had revealed that the government Moyo said the labour body was without the input of labour would was looking at immediate concerned that President Mugabe, see the 30 000 workers whose provisions which made the 91, was increasingly making contracts were terminated on current amended act President Robert Mugabe serious blunders that were notice not getting any packages implementable. threatening the country's efforts after all. He expressed concern that towards economic revival. people and we might face the Moyo said, was weakened by the “Employers are not acting on government would once again go same situation we had in the past fact that it was not legislated, He said statements made in the the amended law hoping that the it alone and incorporate only corrected speech that labour laws month where government goes it hence government was likely to government will amend the law amendments they want and leave alone and pretends they are not ignore calls for holistic changes to would be further reviewed were again and they (employers) get out submissions from labour. insincere as they only intended to hearing their partners and amend the labour laws, which he said had away without paying any “This monster (government) the law,” he said. reduced workers to modern day deal with specific issues to please packages. The implication is that has a tendency of bulldozing business at the expense of The social dialogue platform, slaves. ZIBAWU aims at BancABC Afrochine employee badly injured in workplace accident BY JAMES MUTASA n employee of Afrochine Private Limited, near Chegutu Aescaped death by a whisker after being crushed by a loade . Romeo Ndaruka broke a leg process while on night shift. He is admitted at the Harare Central Hospitals is employed as a welder at the Chinese owned Ferro Smelting company. Ndaruka was first rushed to Chegutu hospital by a workmate' vehicle after all company vehicles were said to be unavailable during the ill-fated night. Employees at Afrochine who witnessed the incident blamed the company for failing to put in place safety measures and provide adequate protective clothing. “Romeo was hit by a reversing loader. There are no lights at the crushing plant making it difficult to operate during the night. The darkness in some of the plants exposes us to unnecessary dangers,” said one employee who spoke to The Worker on condition of anonymity. The employees blamed their employer for reacting to safety issues instead of being proactive “Soon after the accident the loader's lights were fixed,” added another employee. Employees also told the Worker that the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) recently visited the Afrochine premises for routine Workers picketing against Stanbic Bank in Harare safety inspections and ordered the closure of the plant pointing out that it is a safety hazard to employees. However, immediately after the he Zimbabwe Banks and the bank using the infamous July union also picketed against departure of NSSA officials the Chinese employers reopened the Allied Workers Union's 17 Supreme Court Judgment. The Stanbic Bank and Barclays Bank plant. T(ZIBAWU) war on errant bank is also accused of recruiting which were victimising its The workers reported the matter to the National Union of Metal and banks is now focussed on new workers following the workers committee members and Allied Workers Union (NUMAIZ) which has promised to engage BancABC where the bank has dismissals which has angered refusing to award them an relevant authorities until the safety concerns at the plant are rectified. crossed paths with the workers. workers who have vowed to increment. Henry Tarumbira the NUMAIZ General Secretary said the union The union has declared war on continue demonstrating. The IDBZ and the now defunct was prepared to take the employer head on as safety was of paramount errant banks saying it will employees have been Kingdom Afrasia Bank escaped importance in production processes. continue to picket until the demonstrating weekly to get the humiliation after succumbing “As a union we are saddened by the way Afrochine is operating. It is workers' concerns are addressed. attention from the banks to the demands of the union last clear to us that the employer is only after making profits he is not The union would picket at the executive who have turned a deaf year. bothered about the working conditions being experienced by the bank's Mt Pleasant Business Park. ear to their plight. Picketing is when workers workforce,” fumed Tarumbira. Police clearance has been granted “You are however expected to from other organisations “If protective measures were taken, the accident should have not occurred. We are not going to rest until the anomaly is addressed. after the first attempt to picket at ensure that the e vent proceeds demonstrate on behalf of their peacefully without undue colleagues while the union takes Afrochine should be forced to observe occupational health and safety the banks Samora Machel branch before employees lose their lives,” he said. in Harare was turned down by the interference with the public order on the employers. Dozens of and that you are accountable for Zibawu members attended the In an interview with The Worker Hope Hamadzazvino, Afrochine police.