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ZCTU affiliates hit hard times

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The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is working on a plan to write off part of $1,4 million arrears owed by the majority of its affiliates, who failed to participate in last week’s elective conference.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is working on a plan to write off part of $1,4 million arrears owed by the majority of its affiliates, who failed to participate in last week’s elective conference.

By PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

ZCTU secretary-general, Japhet Moyo said the debt write-off was taken aboard after the labour umbrella body realised that only eight affiliates out of 33 were paid up and participated in last week’s elections for new leadership.

“It’s true that only eight affiliates participated in the elections last week. Two more affiliates have now paid up, but we are working on modalities to have the majority settle their arrears,” he said.

Moyo said the prevailing harsh economic environment was hitting the unions hard.

“The unions are making some effort to settle their arrears. Employers are now failing to pay salaries and in cases where they pay, they are not remitting the union dues they deduct. We made a resolution that allows us to draw a plan on how we can write off some of the dues,” he said.

The ZCTU boss said affiliates in arrears were not allowed to participate in union activities and programmes such as training and education among others.

The labour movement also revealed that the eight affiliates that were in good standing with the union by last week were the banking sector, two energy sector unions, three railway unions and a food union.

Also on the list were the education union (non-teaching) and one for Zimra workers.

The ZCTU is at its lowest numbers since 2000, as the economy continues to bleed jobs and companies close. At the end of 2015, more than 56 000 people had been retrenched, according to the ZCTU and Treasury figures, and more than 7 000 firms had shut their operations.

The government’s ZimAsset blueprint is still to yield any significant jobs out of the 2,2 million promised in 2013.