Declaration of the WIL - International Workers League - Zimbabwe August 12th, 2015 Demonstration against the layoffs in Zimbabwe on August 8th, 2015 Against the detention of the union leaders and the militarization of the cities On August 8 in the cities of Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Chinhoyi and Mutare, The official ZCTU and other trade unions called on workers to demonstrate against the law of dismissals approved on July 17 by the laboursupreme court of Justice that ruled in favour of the employers allowing them to fire workers by terminating the labour contracts on notice without compensation. There are already thousands of dismissed workers. Harare was militarized the day of the protest. The antiriot police of Mugabe besieged the ZCTU offices before the beginning of the protest and detained the union leaders. Trucks with heavily armed police were moving along the road towards the ZCTU offices in Harare. A helicopter passed through the ZCTU offices in an attempt to make people feel fear. Then, the police officers blocked the way where hundreds of protesters were gathered. They arrested the ZCTU leaders George Nkiwane and Japhet Moyo. Other detained leaders were the ZCTU Chairperson of Young Workers Ian Makoshore, Informal Economy Coordinator Elijah Mutemeri; National Engineering Workers Union Women ‘s Advisory Council Member Sekai Manyau; General Secretary of Food Federation Runesu Dzimiri; Progressive Teachers Unions of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) the General Secretary Raymond Majongwe. It is crystal clear that the government has imposed a state of siege with his police clash forces and judges. Those at the top have declared a true war against workers on behalf of the imperialist transnationals that plunder Zimbabwe. The Mugabe regimen and government have armoured themselves with their repressive forces. They come to impose thousands and thousands of dismissals. It`s necessary to prepare a huge struggle! The union leaders keep collaborating with this starving and killer government and the bourgeois political parties like the MDC, so enemy of the workers like Mugabe. Enough is enough! Fighting Committee and strike pickets in all the workplaces, cities and at national level! General Strike Now! Against the plan of Mugabe, the bosses and the imperialism No more dismissed workers! Let`s reject the notifications of bosses! Nationalization without payment and under workers control of all the companies that shut down, suspend or dismiss workers! Decent work for all! That the capitalists pay for the crisis! Plan of public works right now, under control of the trade unions and worker organizations! There cannot be lack of work or bread in any table of the Zimbabwe exploited! Reduction of the labour hours with salary equal to the familiar basket! For a salary of 12.500R, as today the miners of Southern Africa are demanding! Workers International League-FLTI
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