NLC wants arrested Zimbabwean labour leaders released

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the Zimbabwean Government to, as a matter of urgency, unconditionally release all labour leaders arrested for participating in a peaceful protest over austerity economic measure.

President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba in a letter addressed to Zimbabwe government, said workers are duty bound to freedom of association in line with international Labour convention.

Wabba said: “We received with dismay reports that the Zimbabwe government did not only stop a peaceful protest of trade unions and other Civil Society Organisations, but the security forces brutally beat up the protesters and arrested some trade union leaders and activists.

“Those reportedly arrested and beaten up included the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President, Comrade Peter Mutasa, and Secretary General, Japheth Moyo together with 39 other persons.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress strongly condemns this police harassment and violence on the protesters and calls on the Zimbabwe Government for the immediate and unconditional release of the ZCTU Trade Union leaders and activists detained by the Zimbabwe Government for participating in a peaceful demonstration to protest austerity economic measures which continue to worsen living conditions for working people and their families in the country.

“More worrisome had been that the ZCTU had duly informed the authorities of its intention to hold the peaceful demonstration and even presented a petition of workers’ demands to the Minister of Finance.

“In spite of this prior notification and the peaceful conduct of the workers and their leaders during the demonstration, the Zimbabwe police still violently cracked down on the harmless workers and their leaders, and cordoned off the offices of the ZCTU.

“We make bold to say that the government of Zimbabwe is duty bound to ensure that workers can exercise their right of freedom of association and demonstrate peacefully, in line with global democratic right and fundamental human rights, without the use of coercive force in breach of Article 59 of the Zimbabwe Constitution and the provision of the ILO Convention 87 of the Freedom of Association.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemns in its entirety the use of maximum force against workers and their leaders for expressing their views through a protest against government economic measure that are anti-workers and the people and for making legitimate demands.

This action seems to be a throw to the dark days of his predecessor, a situation he had promised to change.

“We again call on your government to immediately and unconditionally release the detained ZCTU leaders and others who were arrested and also to cause an investigation into the use of violence against the peaceful demonstrators and bring to book those found culpable in this act”.

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