HARARE – A new trade union has been registered in Zimbabwe as workers representative bodies in the country continue to splitover policy differences and alleged failure to represent interests of their constituencies due to involvement in national politics.
Trade unions fall under the ambit of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services.Named the Trade Union Congress of Zimbabwe, TUCZ in short, the new worker representative body was formed by a group of former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) affiliates.
The new labour centre was finally registered last month, almost six years after it was formed and will hold an elective congress to appoint its substantive leadership as well as other structures later this year.
Confirmation of the registration could not be immediately obtained from the parent ministry.
“The journey to registration was not easy sailing but it took character, devotion and total commitment by both leadership, membership and working partners who gave it all to realize this goal,” TCUZ said in a statement.
The interim TCUZ membership is made up of Angeline Chitambo as acting president, Mellisa Mukomberanwa acting vice president and Raymond Majongwe as the acting secretary general.
Chitambo is the president of the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union while Majongwe is the secretary general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe.
James Gumbi and Farai Mpango are the first and second deputy general secretaries while Emelda Mhuriro is the treasurer general.
TUCZ said it was “apolitical and ready to work with all progressive stakeholders who respect the dignity of and well-being of the working class in Zimbabwe.”
The new trade union, which already boasts of some of the country’s biggest national worker union as its affiliates, will battle it out with the ZCTU and the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) for membership.
TCUZ alleges that some of the existing trade unions were no longer accountable to their members and were working outside their mandate. The ZCTU is largely viewed as pro-opposition it was used as the launching pad for the MDC-T as well as confrontational approach to the Government while the ZFTU is labelled as pro-Government.
TUCZ said it would soon be applying to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services to be included as part of the members in the Tripartite Negotiating Forum, a body through which the government, business and labour meet to brainstorm on social and economic challenges facing the country. – New Ziana