Of note to the ZCTU was the dismissal of Godfrey Mtimba, the ZCTU National Young Workers Council Secretary General by the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of the Daily News. He was also a members of the International Trade Union Confederation Global Youth Executive committee. His dismissal comes at a time when he had been on a collision course with his employers over his trade union trips. On several occasions the Daily News tried to deny Mtimba leave to travel on trade union business only to allow at the last minute after a struggle despite it being his right to attend to such meetings.

Mtimba’s dismissal and that of other unionists is a ploy by emplo
yers to paralyse unionism at the workplace by silencing leaders in order to turn workplaces into havens of abuse and oppression. 
As labour we condemn anti-union employers like the ANZ who ride on dubious rulings to victimise enlightened workers with the mettle to defend themselves from workplace oppression. Employers with such a mentality are a threat to the development of the nation and the general population as they seek to brutally maximise their profits without regard to the welfare of their workers.

The ZCTU views such dismissals as victimisation and will take up the matter with the International Labour Organisation as the dismissals are against public policy and international labour law

ZCTU SECRETARY GENERAL 

JAPHET MOYO

July 27, 2015