CTU MEDIA RELEASE

23 June 2008

CTU joins international stand on Zimbabwe

The Council of Trade Unions today joined international unions in calling for an end to the intimidation and oppression of union and democracy campaigners in Zimbabwe, as conditions in the country worsened.

“The international trade union movement has very serious concerns regarding the violence that is currently taking place in Zimbabwe, violence that has specifically targeted trade unionists and many other civilians,” CTU president Helen Kelly said today.

“The CTU today wrote to the government of Zimbabwe to protest the charges levelled against the leaders of our sister body the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, President Lovemore Matombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibebe. We called for the Zimbabwe Government to drop the trumped-up charges against the ZCTU officers.”

“Lovemore and Wellington were arrested last month following speeches they made at a May Day rally about the violence and intimidation that has become widespread during the re-run election campaign.”

“The voice of ordinary people of Zimbabwe is being gagged by violence, intimidation and restricting their leaders’ freedom of speech. Zimbabwe’s trade unions are being targeted by Mugabe’s thugs because they represent the real voice of the people.”

“Internationally trade unionists are showing our solidarity with Zimbabwe’s people in their fight to free themselves from brutal oppression and economic disaster,” Helen Kelly said.

ENDS

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