Workers in the energy sector, including Zesa, yesterday made a major climbdown on their threat to plunge the country into darkness through a debilitating strike starting today to force a salary review.
Zimbabwe Electricity Workers’ Union president Angeline Chitambo yesterday told NewsDay the workers had reversed their decision out of fear of being charged with sabotaging the economy.
The threat, if it had been implemented, would have had far-reaching economic and social consequences.
“We are treading on shaky ground and we need to be careful whenever we do this,” Chitambo said. “When we gave the 72-hour ultimatum, we overreacted. We have to deal with work on the ground first. It is not time for that (to go on strike) at the moment. As from tomorrow (today), we are going to start picketing. We are going to come to work and sit down with our placards at lunchtime and we are not going to disturb work operations.”
The U-turn comes after Attorney-General Johannes Tomana described the threats as illegal and warned Zesa workers that they risked prosecution.
The workers on Monday gave Zesa and other players in the energy sector a 72-hour ultimatum to review their salaries in line with an arbitration order awarded by independent arbitrators last month.
Zesa is reportedly refusing to honour an agreement it made with the more than 7 000 workers citing a precarious financial position.
