- Title: ZIMBABWE: THOUSANDS OF ZIMBABWEAN WORKERS GATHER FOR MAY DAY RALLY IN HARARE
- Date: 1st May 2001
- Summary: (W5) HARARE, ZIMBABWE (MAY 1, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV: ZCTU (ZIMBABWE CONGRESS OF TRADE UNION) WORKERS MARCHING THROUGH STREETS 0.07 2. VARIOUS: MORE OF MARCHERS SINGING AND PROCEEDING THROUGH STREETS (3 SHOTS) 0.19 3. MV: WORKERS DANCING IN RUFARO STADIUM FOR LABOUR DAY CELEBRATIONS 0.27 4. SV: WORKERS WATCHING 0.31 5. MV/WS/SV: ARRIVAL OF ZIMBABWEAN WAR VETERAN LEADER JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA (MAN WITH BEARD); SUPPORTERS CHEERING (3 SHOTS) 0.48 6. SV: VERBAL CONFRONTATION AND SHOVING BY ZANU PF AND MDC SUPPORTERS 1.00 7. SV: MAN WITH BANDAGE ON HAND WAVES ANGRILY AT OTHERS 1.04 8. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) CHINOTIMBA: "They are doing politics, we are all workers, why should they refuse me to come in here? I am a worker, they are workers, so why do they refuse me to come in here? It is so that they are not mature in mind." 1.18 9. SLV: POLICE ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER ARRIVES 1.22 10. SV'S: POLICE CONTROL CROWD GUARDING DOGS (2 SHOTS) 1.30 11. CU: CUTAWAY WHITE WOMAN IN CROWD 1.34 12. SV: SOUNDBITE (Shona) PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE WORKERS UNTION (ZCTU) LOVEMORE MATOMBO: "ZCTU is still working under old rules set up by the former union leaders, we have to change these rules for effective running of the union." 1.53 13. SV: CHINOTIMBA AND CHEERING 2.02 14. MV/SV: MATOMBO WHISKED AWAY TO VAN (2 SHOTS) 2.14 15. SV: PEOPLE CHEERING 2.19 16. VARIOUS: CHINOTIMBA TAKES OVER THE STAGE AND ADDRESSES CROWD/AIDE HANDS HIM PAPERS WITH NAMES OF COMPANIES WHO HAVE LAID OFF WORKERS (4 SHOTS) 2.57 17. LV: PEOPLE LISTENING 3.01 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th May 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HARARE, ZIMBABWE
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Reuters ID: LVA5SSP18UJ3KGXRZBISJMICEDC6
- Story Text: Thousands of Zimbabwean workers have gathered for a
May Day rally seen as a test of the government's ability to
win key labour votes ahead of presidential polls expected
early next year.
Zimbabwe's war veterans addressed workers and threatened
to raid more than 20 more private businesses in the coming
days to force employers to reinstate sacked workers.
After marching through the streets of Harare on
Tuesday (May 1), workers gathered at Harare's 40,000-seat
sports stadium where the ruling ZANU-PF party tried to win
over workers from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU)
whose leadership is aligned with the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC).
War veteran leader Joseph Chinotimba told a May Day rally
that firms targeted covered a broad range of business
interests and included Dutch electronics giant Philips whose
premises were already raided once before last week.
There were scuffles as MDC supporters tried to keep the
veterans leader and his supporters out. The MDC has emerged as
the biggest political threat to President Robert Mugabe since
he led the country to independence from Britain in 1980.
Mugabe's ZANU-PF failed to win a single seat in Harare
during parliamentary elections last year which the ruling
party won after a campaign marred by violence and the deaths
of at least 31 people, mainly MDC supporters.
Mugabe said last month he would seek re-election for
another six-year term, claiming he was the best chance for his
party to succeed.
ZANU-PF, whose major support is in rural constituencies,
urged workers to use the party to solve their labour
grievances.
ZANU-PF has unleashed veterans of the 1970s guerrilla war
against white-ruled Rhodesia to lead campaigns against private
businesses in urban centres to win support amongst workers.
The self-styled war veterans, who led a violent seizure of
white-owned farms last year, raided scores of businesses last
week to demand that employers reinstate sacked workers and pay
compensation.
The veterans have also intimidated international aid
groups and threatened foreign embassies they suspect of
backing the MDC.
Their Harare leader Chinotimba has declared himself leader
of the ZCTU.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday warned workers to
be vigilant against attempts to disrupt the rally and
denounced the war veterans' attacks against businesses as
counterproductive.
Minor scuffles outside the stadium between rival youths
backing the MDC and ZANU-PF were broken up by police ahead of
the main speeches scheduled for later this afternoon.
"The workers have to remain vigilant against being
hoodwinked by new messiahs who may claim their interests
through clandestine dispute settlement mechanisms. The current
spate of theft and other forms of lawlessness will result in
greater damage to an already tottering economy," Tsvangirai
said in a statement.
Labour is suffering as Zimbabwe struggles through its
third year of economic recession, marked by acute foreign
currency and fuel shortages. Unemployment stands at around 50
percent and inflation at 55 percent.
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