Members of the Zimbabwe Allied Bankers Workers Union on Thursday staged a demonstration against Stanbic Bank following the dismissal of the former workers committee chairperson Verity Mutsamwira.
Speaking to 263Chat, President of the Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU), Farai Katsande who was part of the demonstrators said their protesting was against a decision by Stanbic Bank to fire Mutsamwira for representing workers.
“We are gathered here to demonstrate against Stanbic Bank, the back ground of the issue is the dismissal of the former chairperson of the workers committee of the bank, the issue that she was dismissed for is purely representative issue whereby she was representing the generality of workers at Stanbic Bank.
“So we viewed that as a trade union as victimization and this is what as it is so we are demonstrating against this behavior whereby in our view it remains a colonial hangover whereby they still ill treats workers so Stanbic must move out of that mode this is now time to allow women to lead as the constitution’s mandate that women and men are equal so that’s why we are here as men to support women,” said Katsande.
Meanwhile Mufakose constituency Member of Parliament Paurina Mupariwa who was also part of the demonstrators complained of the absence of gender equality at Stanbic Bank.
“The constitution of Zimbabwe section 56(2) states that women have rights to equal opportunities in political, economic and social spheres so as a Member of Parliament and other stakeholders we decided to demonstrate against Stanbic for ill treating Verity Mutsamwira,”said Mupariwa.
The dismissed Mutsamwira said the demonstration was against discrimination and oppression of women by employers like Stanbic Bank adding that colonial practices have no place in Zimbabwe.
“I am humbled and encouraged by the fighting spirit of women of Zimbabwe and today the solidarity must resolve the discrimination and oppression of women by employers like Stanbic Bank so this sends a clear message to Zimbabweans that Zimbabwe shall never again tolerate colonial practices to the women of Zimbabwe,” she said.
