Unite: You have nothing to lose but your chains!
Fraternal greetings in the name of the struggle for working people’s rights.
We join our allies in the labor movement, both formal and informal, as represented by ZCTU, ARTUZ, VISET, BVTA, and other working people’s organizations, in commemorating the International Workers Day. A day set aside to celebrate hard-won working-class victories and cement solidarity for current and future struggles.
Hardly a time for celebration as the whole world is gripped with uncertainty and battling for survival against the Covid-19 pandemic. Working people and the poor bear the worst of this crisis as the lockdown also leaves them in a poverty trap and exacerbates the effects of years of elitist policies that have ignored the interest of the common man.
Cardinal Pillar #7 of the Citizens Manifesto envisions a Zimbabwe characterized by decent work for all. As a convergence platform striving for a better Zimbabwe for all, we associate firmly with all progressive workers struggles. In fulfilling this duty, we have stood with workers across sectors in their heroic struggles decent work and dignity; including medical workers, teachers, mining workers and informal traders.
We congratulate Labour for resilience under very difficult conditions underpinned by historical assaults on the interests of the working class such as the pernicious Economic Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP) and its various guises.
We reiterate our standing call for unity in struggle and a united front in the common struggle for the dignity of working people, reminding the working class of the old dictum: march separately, strike together!
Working people’s unity is more important now than ever, as we confront the twin viruses of Corona and poverty. There is an urgent need to ensure that social security is scaled up to cushion the majority of our workers who have lost livelihoods and have been condemned to a desperate existence.
With the global economy facing the most dire crisis since the Great Depression, workers in Zimbabwe should brace for worsening conditions. This therefore calls for the highest level of organization on the part of Labour and close solidarity with other sectors to avert a total decimation of the working class in this country.
As the Citizens Manifesto we recognize the serious, social, economic and political challenges our country is facing more so under the Covid-19 scourge. We maintain that it the citizens who will change our society for the good of all.
Workers are the vanguard!
We salute you the creators of the world’s wealth and call on you to “Unite: You have nothing to lose but your chains!”.
Shinga mushandi! Qina Sisebenzi!
Sunungura Zimbabwe!
