One of the greatest challenges facing unions in Zimbabwe is increasing low wages, improving the living standards of workers and maintaining a strong organisation under conditions of a siege economy.
Facing hurdles like denial of workers’ rights, repression of strikes, security laws, government sponsored unions, company clamp downs on workers’ meetings, failing economy, bad governance, etc, seven metal-related unions took a brave step on August 16 to 18 2005 to launch a living wage campaign under the theme: “˜Unite, organise and fight on for a living wage campaign’.
The seven unions that launched the campaign in Kadoma were the National Engineering Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Automotive and Allied Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Associated Mining Union of Zimbabwe, Ferroalloys Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Electronics, Communication, Radio and Television Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Electricity and Energy Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Iron & Steel Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe.
This unprecedented decision comes after shopstewards called for such unity and merger during shopstewards’ councils meetings attended by close to 600 shopstewards across the country. The campaign entails common wage struggles, closer cooperation on strategy and solidarity in action.
General members’ meetings will be held in September to discuss demands for the September to December round of negotiations (because of high inflation, Zimbabwe trade unions now bargain every three months) and the objectives of the campaign which are as follows:
increase workers’ wages, benefits and improve conditions of employment of workers
achieve uniform standards within the industry
mobilise members and non-members through the campaign
ensure greater participation of members in wage negotiations and struggles
mobilise communities behind workers’ demands and struggles
struggle for fair distribution of wealth which will benefit the communities
fight for high paying industries
harmonise conditions with other workers in Southern Africa
Unions have committed themselves to submit similar demands to employers, conclude agreements at the same time, declare disputes and strikes at the same time, not to settle at less than other unions and to act in solidarity to support each other.
Demands for September to December 2005 roundDue to the inflationary nature of the Zimbabwean economy, wage negotiations take place every 3 months. The unions agreed on the following common demands to be presented for this round (September to December 2005). The demands are as follows:
Wages
Wages to be linked to the poverty datum line of Z$ 5 .4 million. (The poverty datum line has since increased to $Z 7 million. Inflation has increased from 164% to 254%).
Transport
A transport allowance to be paid equal to the cost of monthly transport and to be increased every time there is an increase in public transport fares.
Housing allowance
25% of a worker’s basic salary
Education
Education allowance to equal school fees for three children paid monthly to those with children attending school.
Health and safety
Employers should offer certified appropriate education and training on health and safety for health and safety representatives, in addition to specialised training appropriate to the nature of the work performed in the industry. The union should be given an opportunity to review and participate in such training. The company will bear all the costs associated with such training.
Workers are barely surviving on poverty wages in the current economic meltdown. The poverty datum line has shot up to Z$ 7 million per month while workers’ wages remain at Z$ 2 million.
Workers’ living standards are under attack with unemployment at 70%, economy at negative 2.5%, shortage of basic food stuffs, lack of fuel, drought and rising inflation. The price increases have seen inflation increasing as follows:
Only a strong organisation will save us”Only a strong organisation, will save us from this predicament”, commented one of the shopstewards after sharing experiences of how previous strikes were crushed by the police and the military. The joint collective bargaining campaign increases prospects of the metal related unions merging to form one union which will be the strongest and biggest within the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions.