ITF condemns Zimbabwe arrests, 3 December 2008

[Dominic Tweedie]

 

3 December 2008. For immediate release

 

 

ITF condemns Zimbabwe arrests

 

 

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) today unequivocally condemned the arrests of trade unionists in Zimbabwe. Among those being held for nothing more than having attended a peaceful demonstration are members of the ITF’s affiliated trade unions.

 

Around 50 unionists have been detained, some violently, after demonstrating against limits on bank withdrawals that have left Zimbabweans unable to take out enough money to buy a day’s food.

 

Among the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions members taken by police are the ZCTU General Secretary, for delivering a petition to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, and Gideon Shoko, ZCTU Deputy General Secretary and General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Workers’ Union (ZARWU), who was due to attend an ITF Railway Section meeting next week. Also held n Bulawayo Central Police Station is Keneth Nemachena of ZARWU, which is a member of the ITF.

 

ITF General Secretary David Cockroft commented: “The Zimbabwean police have once again massively overreacted when faced with peaceful protest. We are again faced with the dying gasps of the Mugabe regime, which always reaches for the truncheon when it should reach for the handle of the exit door. The damage is done. The only thing they can do now is immediately release these trade unionists unharmed.”

 

ENDS

 

Enclosures Images below

Copy of leaflet from today’s peaceful demonstration and photo of Gideon Shoko (at right, holding pen in folded hands) at an ITF rail meeting in Johannesburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.

Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260

E-mail: dawso...@itf.org.uk