The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has vowed to continue mobilising workers to protest until the government addresses their legitimate grievances.
In a statement on Sunday, ZCTU president Peter Mutasa said the ZANU PF-led government is now behaving like the racist Rhodesian and Apartheid governments by seeking to kill and jail union leaders. Said Mutasa:
Until workers get a fair deal, unions will continue to carry out their legitimate roles. These include mobilising workers for strikes and other lawful means of protests.
The demands of workers are genuine and the call for action is legitimate. Instead of seeking to kill and jail trade union leaders, the government must address the genuine grievances of workers and citizens.
It is a pity that in a supposed independent Zimbabwe, the police and military are being used to horribly suppress citizens. This is only equal to colonial Rhodesia or South African apartheid and it’s a sad indictment on our yester-year liberators.
… For workers and trade unions, we have no choice than continuing to push for better conditions. Almost all workers have been enslaved and struggling under extremely poor working conditions reminiscent of colonial-era oppressive conditions.