"Zimbabwean trade unionists are not terrorists!"

This was the statement issued by BWI after Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa branded the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) a terrorist organisation.

BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson expressed his alarm and concern over the remarks made against their trade union affiliate. 

“BWI and its 12 million members worldwide strongly condemn the terrorist-tagging of ZCTU and the persistent harassment and persecution of trade unionists in Zimbabwe. We express our serious concerns over the disturbing political and economic developments in the country, which we think is increasingly becoming unfavourable to democratic trade unionism,” Yuson said.                                                                               

(Patrick Chinamasa c/o Povo News)

BWI said that ZCTU is not a terrorist organization. The global union said that ZCTU is legitimately recognised by Zimbabwe’s Constitution, with its missions and operations in accordance to the country’s Labour Act and international labour standards. BWI said that ZCTU’s terrorist-tagging is not only a clear violation of ILO Convention 87 ratified by Zimbabwe itself, but also an unveiled threat and act of intimidation against trade unionists and civil society activists in the country.

BWI called on Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa and his government to denounce Chinamasa’s statement against ZCTU and take concrete measures to ensure that labour and human rights are fully respected in the country.