Zimbabwe: RWG Statement Forward to a Civil Service General Strike
FORWARD TO A CIVIL SERVICE GENERAL STRIKE!!
FORM WORKPLACE BASED ACTION COMMITEES!!
NO RETURNING TO WORK UNTIL A LIVING WAGE IS WON!!
The Apex council, representing all civil servants, has issued a statement stating that if government fails to meet their demands all workers will be forced to go on strike. This was in anticipation of the mid-year fiscal statement by the Minister of Finance this week, the same Minister who indicated earlier that there will be a salary freeze for all state workers, before his superior in the MDC party and government, the Prime Minister, came in and promised an increase. The fiscal statement was silent on the issue showing that the state is not serious.
Recent talks with the govt representatives yielded nothing as the reps were only trying to buy time whilst doing all they can to divide and weaken the unions ahead of a showdown over a living wage and better working conditions. Still the leaders of the public workers put faith in the govt despite the record much more exposed since the aborted January action which had all the potential to force the state to give in to the workers’ demands.
Workers actions are needed to win a living wage now!
The Apex council must call for an indefinite general strike of all civil servants, across all the sectors!
No to ineffectual “stay away” or “go slow,” actions!
Workers should not wait for the leadership but rather should take the initiative and paralyse all state business to conquer a living wage.
Aware of previous developments, we call on the rank and file workers in the workplaces to form Action Committees to spearhead the strike at the grassroots levels and to be coordinated at local, regional and national levels.
Action committees from the workplaces must convene public assemblies of workers, unemployed, students, youth and women to build the general strike movement!
In these public assemblies and action committees the RWG advances a program to unite the working class in struggle against the 1% and their imperialist masters. The workers program includes:
WE FIGHT FOR:
Jobs for All! Share the work 30 hours work for forty hours pay!
For a sliding scale of wages and prices to assure all a living wage! Make capital pay!
Free Quality and Universal Education, Childcare and Healthcare!
Nationalize industries which do not comply and run them under workers’ control!
Provide easy credit for small businesses and small family farmers!
Nationalize the Banks without indemnification and run them under workers control!
Build a Revolutionary Workers Party to fight for a Workers’ Government!
This is the only way to guarantee victory against the state and the MDC, ZANU (PF) and entrenched trade union leaders who deceive the masses and serve the bosses!
FOR A GENERAL STRIKE UNTIL WE WIN! FORWARD TO WORKERS VICTORY!
Issued by the Revolutionary Workers Group (RWG)
20 July 2012
