2016 ITUC Global Rights Index - Zimbabwe
| Publisher | International Trade Union Confederation |
| Publication Date | 9 June 2016 |
| Cite as | International Trade Union Confederation, 2016 ITUC Global Rights Index - Zimbabwe, 9 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5799aa4524.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Court bans agricultural workers' union leader from farm: A High Court judge has barred leader of the Zimbabwe Horticulture Agro-industries and General Agricultural Workers' Union (Zhagawu), Mr Raymond Sixpence, from holding labour meetings at Tavistock Estates in Beatrice. The court made the ruling after the farm owner, Cristopher Hawgood, took Sixpence to court on allegations of interfering with the farm's operations and accusing him of underpaying his employees.
Justice Maxwell Takuva granted the peace order at the end of February 2016 and barred Sixpence from visiting or "making nnecessary meetings to Tavistock Farm without police permission or Tavistock's consent". Documents reveal that Zhagawu has been at loggerheads with Tavistock Farm over the welfare of workers and alleges that the white farmer is refusing to allow his labourers to join the union, a charge denied by the farm owner.
Police beat up protesters for demanding salaries: On 4 January police blocked a street march through central Harare by a handful of protesters demanding the immediate payment of outstanding salaries to civil servants.
The placard waving protesters, led by the Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ), managed to evade police attention from Harare's busy Market Square bus terminus while heading for New Government Complex. This was the place where they intended to present their petition to the Finance and Public Service Ministries. Nevertheless, a group of anti-riot officers blocked them when they were nearing the legislative building: RTUZ secretary general Obert Masaraura and activists Robson Chere and Pride Mkono were beaten up by the police and then taken to Harare Central police where they were later released without any charges against them. Rutendo Kawadza, an activist with the Zimbabwe Activists Alliance (ZAA) who joined the march as well, was left hospitalised for injuries sustained during the ordeal.
Supreme Court authorises selective punishment of employees: In January 2016 the Supreme Court's ruling authorised the selective punishment of employees. This means that the employer can arbitrarily decide who to charge if a group of employees commit an offence. It is clear that such ruling leaves space for selective punishment/firing of trade union leaders inside the enterprise who might be the victims of acts of retaliation to discourage trade union activity in the enterprise.
