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Southern Africa: ZFTU Blasts SA, Zambian Trade Union Groups
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Harare
THE Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions has blasted the Confederation of South African Trade Unions
and the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions for meddling in Zimbabwe's internal affairs ignoring their mandate of championing the cause of workers in their own countries.
ZFTU secretary general Cde Kennias Shamuyarira said the South African and Zambian labour bodies should concentrate on the welfare of their members. He was speaking at the ZFTU's general council meeting held in Harare yesterday. Instead of colluding with Western powers in demonising Zimbabwe, Cde Shamuyarira said the two bodies should call for the lifting of the illegal economic sanctions that are hurting Zimbabwean workers and their families. According to Cde Shamuyarira, Cosatu and the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions had planned a series of demonstrations in their countries to protest against alleged violations of human rights by the Zimbabwean Government from tomorrow. "The two labour unions are being used by British imperialists and their allies to demonise Zimbabwe and this cannot be accepted from a labour centre.
"It is not sincere and correct," Cde Shamuyarira said.
He said the two bodies should have approached the ZFTU, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Apex Council, which represent the workers at the Tripartite Negotiating Forum, if it they were truly concerned with the plight of workers in Zimbabwe. "If Cosatu were so sincere they should have also called for the lifting of the illegally imposed sanctions which have caused untold suffering to the ordinary worker," he said. Cde Shamuyarira also castigated Cosatu for remaining quiet on the xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans and other foreigners in South Africa.
More than 1 000 foreigners, most of them Zimbabweans and Mozambicans, have been displaced in attacks that have rocked Johannesburg's Alexandra Park and Kew townships since Sunday. The attacks also resulted in the death of three people while more than 60 were injured and several women were raped and property looted.
"We condemn these attacks and we expect Cosatu as a sister trade union organisation to do the same, but they are turning a blind eye. They are busy dancing to the tune of their masters who are the British and claim to be champions of human rights," he said.
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Cde Shamuyarira said trade unions in Sadc should condemn Cosatu and the Zambian labour body for being willing tools of the British.
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