Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) has come to the rescue of bank workers , whose contracts were terminated after the Zuva Judgment of 2015 which left hundreds of workers, including bank workers, jobless.
ZIBAWU president Farai Katsande told 263Chat that they are aiming to establish a micro-finance institution that will create employment for the sacked workers.
“We have heard our members speak and we have gone through various congresses where we have been asked by members what interventions we are putting in place for various members who lost employment through various contract terminations .
“Following that, we had a workshop were we received many ideas on how we can move forward and we intend to set up a worker’s cooperative which we believe, as a union ,that it may be one of the first in the country.
“We want to show the government that as workers we can do it better. Gone are the days when we used to complain (over contract termination) ,so we want to create employment and contribute to the fiscus by reducing unemployment in our country which is estimated over 90%,”he said.
Meanwhile ZIBAWU General Secretary Peter Mutasa said the aim of the program is aimed at bringing a modernized model in workplaces which is more democratic.
“We have decided to initiate workers’ cooperative as a way of creating employment to the members who lost employment and also as a way to alleviate and eradicate poverty within the banking sector members.
“We are living in a world where the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer, since we are working in an unforgiving capitalist economy ,where there is lack of democracy at the work place, people are oppressed and workers have no voice.
“So we want to bring a new model in a fairer society and work place which is more democratic where workers work for themselves, share profit equitably with decent employment and decent salaries,”said Mutasa.
The Zuva judgement by the Supreme Court (of Zimbabwe in Nyamande and Zuva Petroleum SC43/15) and led to termination of more than 6,000 contacts for workers in one week in July 2015.
