The Zimbabwe electricity Supply Authority (ZESA)’s anti-trade union crusade continues after they caused the arrest of the Secretary-General of the National Energy Workers’ Union (NEWUZ) for taking part in a collective job action.
On 13 March 2018, the Secretary General of NEWUZ, Mr. Thomas Masvingwe, was asked to report to Harare Central Police Station Law and Order Section to answer charges of participating in an ‘unlawful’ job action. He appeared before the Magistrate Court where he denied the charges.
The ZCTU said it was worried and averred that the referring of labour matters to criminal courts were meant to intimidate trade unions and silence workers.
Comrade Masvingwe is also the 2nd Deputy Secretary-General of the ZCTU. The action by ZESA comes barely a few days after its subsidiary company, the Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company (ZETDC), suspended eight union officials from the Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe (ESWUZ), without salaries and benefits, for allegedly being involved in another demonstration.
Workers at ZESA have been demonstrating against corruption at the company demanding that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to take action.
“The ZCTU reiterates that what is happening at ZESA is nothing but anti-union and pure victimisation of trade unionists. We have since written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ZESA Board chairperson to intervene,” the labour union said in a statement.