ICFTU ONLINE...

Brussels, November 18 1998 (ICFTU OnLine): Zimbabwe has been brought to a standstill again today (Wednesday) by a general strike, the second in two weeks to be called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to demand pay rises, the abolition of taxes and the cancellation of the increase in the price of petrol.

In a message sent to President Robert Mugabe today, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) expresses its unconditional support for the ZCTU which, it says "is voicing the legitimate concerns of the workers of Zimbabwe". The international confederation urges Mr. Mugabe to intervene to facilitate the opening of "serious and genuine negotiations with the trade union movement" which, it stresses, has shown a strong sense of responsibility and through its constructive approach has won respect far beyond the borders of Zimbabwe.

The ICFTU is also demanding measures to prevent repression, recalling that last week’s strike resulted in one person being killed and several others injured owing to the strong-arm tactics adopted by the police in Mutare (in the east of the country, close to the Mozambican border).

Like last Wednesday, the industrial parks and building sites of Harare are deserted today, banks are closed and most small business have pulled their iron shutters down. In the country’s other major towns, Bulawayo (south-west) and Mutare, the situation is similar. The security forces, the army and the police are patrolling the streets of the town centres to prevent any incidents. The 400,000 strong ZCTU has once again shown that its capacity to mobilise far exceeds its membership and that whole sections of the population support its demands.

The general strike has also resulted for the first time in an objective alliance between the ZCTU and the Institute of Directors (IOD - the employers) who both believe that President Robert Mugabe is responsible for the country’s economic decline.

The two organisations are also critical of Zimbabwe’s costly intervention in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) on the side of Larent-Désiré Kabila’s forces, at a time when the population is experiencing a deterioration in its living standards.

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
Boulevard Emile Jacqmain 155, B - 1210 Brussels, Belgium. For more information
please contact: Luc Demaret on: 00 322 224 0212 - press@icftu.org

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