Authorities brace for strike action in zimbabwe

Posted 7.30pm GMT

The union representing about 1 million members of Zimbabwe’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is threatening action to halt the strike movement to protest unemployment benefits.

The strike, which has been held since Wednesday, is expected to escalate as the company seeks to impose higher pension payments for all workers.

“Our members are under the utmost stress and uncertainty at the moment… The strike will be prolonged due to the company’s refusal to pay benefits to these workers… we are ready to take all possible legal actions to obtain compensation for them,” said Cuthbert Nyabinga, president of NUM’s executive council.

The NUM is seeking an immediate pay-rise in pension benefits, and to raise pay increments on top of that to compensate for the longer hours workforces have put in.

The companies’ first pay-rises were due at the end of 2012 and were set to be extended by eight weeks, the day after the March 31 anniversary.

In the past week the companies have extended the two previous pay-rises, but there is no guarantee that the third will be extended before the end of 2012, an바카라d it’s not clear whether they will also apply for two-year extensions.

NUM members, union officials and other workers have been walking out across the country, refusing to pay wages which, together with inflation, are at the upper end of the normal wage scale.

Nyabinga said the NUM’s demands would not stop t더킹카지노he industry in Zimbabwe turning to its workers for a job, but it would force them to make the hard choices that would help the overall economy as they struggle to keep up with a slowing economy.

“We will not allow anyone to continue down this road,” he said. “There are those who are pl바카라사이트anning to stop the trade unions from marching at noon on Thursday, and we should not allow this. The people, the workers, should have the choice to accept their conditions.”

– Daily Telegraph