MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has strongly condemned the suspension of five union members by the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) administration.
According to ZCTU Acting Secretary-General Kudakwashe Munengiwa, the suspended members of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) are Phillemon Munyaradzi Chamburuka (President), Borncase Mwakorera (Secretary-General), Obvious Vengeyi (Treasurer), Justin T’andire (Committee member), and Munyaradzi Gwisai (Legal Advisor).
The suspensions stem from a meeting held last Friday where AUT members gathered at the Great Hall to decide whether to hold a strike ballot to press UZ management to raise their salaries to the pre-October 2018 level of US$2,500 per month.
Munengiwa stated that UZ Registrar Munyaradzi Madambi and one Mushayi reportedly instructed the AUT members to vacate the hall to make way for a Chinese lecture, but the union members refused, saying they had booked the hall for their meeting.
“This type of attitude by management cannot be tolerated by workers, and the ZCTU fully backs AUT in its quest for better salaries for its members,” Munengiwa said.
The ZCTU is urging the UZ management to immediately reinstate the suspended workers, as any delays would be a disregard of labor relations principles and a violation of human and trade union rights.
The union views the suspensions as an attempt to undermine social dialogue processes.
