WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK (7 OCTOBER 2008)

Dear Colleagues

On behalf of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Organising department we have chosen to include the following areas in our campaign for decent work.

1. Rights at Work

Geographically our area of jurisdiction covers about six provinces of Zimbabwe and we have a ZCTU office in every regional capital. Activities were and are already being done as a build up towards the World Day for Decent Work. Our affiliate trade unions have been engaging in workplace based lunch time meetings, whilst our officers have also been conducting workers committee foras. Deliberate mobilization activities have been embarked on which will lead to six labour fora this September 2008. The intention is that the labour fora be addressed by our General Council members. Under the rights at work it is our belief that such other topics as the following will be tackled.

• High taxation levels
• Provision of social security
• Improving the situation of working women
• Ratifying and implementing the United Nations and ILO conventions
• Changing of unfair trade rules

2. Solidarity

Solidarity activities are already underway in Zimbabwe or Southern Africa. Given the polarized political environment that we find ourselves in as Zimbabweans a lot of work has been done to have collaborations with sister trade unions and other fraternal organisations that share the same belief with us. Already boarder blockade activities are being embarked on with COSATU. We are also planning as a build up towards the World Day for Decent Work commemorations of the police and government brutality that was unleashed on trade union leadership on the 13 September 2006, after the leaders had demanded for the observance of human and trade union rights including the right to decent work for Zimbabwean citizens. In this build up period we will be coordinating and working with other organisations i.e HIV & AIDS Support Groups, Human Rights Defenders, Women’s Groups.