ZIMBABWE'S AFL-CIO SOLIDARITY CENTER HEAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000862 SIPDIS DRL/IL FOR KBRYANT NSC FOR JFRAZERNSCE-$,,^ ILAB FOR RSHEPHARD LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON E.O. 12958: DECL 02/28/11 TAGS: ELAB PGOV PHUM PINR ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S AFL-CIO SOLIDARITY CENTER HEAD CLAIMS ZCTU CONGRESS WAS A VICTORY FOR THE MDC REFS: A. HARARE 859, B. HARARE 846 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 D. ¶1. (C) ON FEBRUARY 27, LABOFF MET WITH GEBRE GEBREMARIAM, THE AMCIT REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AFL-CIO FUNDED AMERICAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL LABOR SOLIDARITY IN HARARE, TO DISCUSS THE JUST-ENDED ZIMBABWE CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS' (ZCTU) FIVE-YEAR CONGRESS. GEBREMARIAM INDICATED THAT THE ELECTION RESULTS AT THE CONGRESS HAD PRODUCED A COMPLETE VICTORY BY THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) IN MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE LABOR FEDERATION. HE SAID THAT THE POLITICS SURROUNDING THE ZCTU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS DOMINATED THE CONGRESS, AND THAT TRADITIONAL LABOR ISSUES WERE CLEARLY SECONDARY. ACCORDING TO GEBREMARIAM, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE MDC COMMANDED OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AMONG THE UNION DELEGATES WHO ATTENDED THE CONGRESS. IN HIS OPINION, AT LEAST 95 PERCENT OF THE DELEGATES WERE VOCAL MDC SUPPORTERS, AND THIS FIGURE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF MDC SUPPORT BY UNION MEMBERS AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVELS. HE EXPLAINED THAT THIS SUPPORT IS NOT OPEN-ENDED AND WILL REQUIRE MDC SUPPORT OF PRO-WORKER POLICIES, HOWEVER, ITS FIRM FOUNDATION IS THE WIDESPREAD SENSE OF BETRAYAL AND DISENCHANTMENT SHARED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF UNION MEMBERS TOWARDS PRESIDENT MUGABE AND ZANU-PF. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 00862 01 OF 02 281850Z ¶2. (C) THE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR THE MDC WAS REFLECTED IN THE VOTING FOR THE TOP SLOT. THE PRO-MDC CANDIDATE WILLARD CHIBHEBHE RECEIVED 81 VOTES, ANOTHER PRO-MDC CANDIDATE GOT 36 VOTES, WHILE THE PRO-ZANU-PF CANDIDATE ISIDORE ZINDOGA (WHO HAD BEEN ACTING SECRETARY GENERAL FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS) GARNERED JUST 35 VOTES. GEBREMARIAM BELIEVES THAT ZINDOGA RECEIVED THESE VOTES BECAUSE OF HIS SOLID CREDENTIALS AS A UNION ORGANIZER AND NOT BECAUSE OF HIS PRO-ZANU-PF VIEWS, WHICH HE PLAYED DOWN. THE PRO-RULING PARTY CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE ZCTU, SHANGWA CHIFAMBA, WHO DID NOT DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM THE PARTY, RECEIVED ONLY A DISMAL SEVEN VOTES OUT OF THE 152 CAST. THE SUPPORT FOR THE MDC WAS ALSO SHOWN BY THE ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME THAT MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI AND MDC VICE-PRESIDENT GIBSON SIBANDA, BOTH FORMER UNION LEADERS, RECEIVED WHEN THEY ADDRESSED THE CONGRESS. ¶3. (U) TRADITIONAL LABOR ISSUES AND OTHER ECONOMIC MATTERS WERE RAISED AND DISCUSSED AT THE CONGRESS, ACCORDING TO GEBREMARIAM, BUT IN ONLY A CURSORY MANNER. THESE INCLUDED: = THE LEVEL OF DEATH, PENSION AND OTHER BENEFITS RECEIVED BY WORKERS FROM THE QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (NSSA) = THE STATUS OF FUNDS RAISED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) THROUGH THE AIDS LEVY TAX THAT IS PAID BY BOTH EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 00862 01 OF 02 281850Z = RESTRUCTURING THE UNIONS IN ZIMBABWE TO CREATE FEWER, LARGER AND MORE POWERFUL UNIONS = THE PROBLEM OF RETRENCHMENT (LAYING OFF) OF WORKERS IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS = THE ISSUE OF PRIVATIZATION OF PARASTATAL ENTERPRISES AND THE EFFECT ON WORKERS = CREATING A SEPARATE ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE ZCTU (OR AN AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH CENTER) TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE ECONOMY = INCREASING UNION DUES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE FEDERATION'S FINANCIAL SOLVENCY ¶4. (C) COMMENT: IT IS CLEAR THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE ZCTU CONGRESS WAS A DEFEAT FOR PRESIDENT MUGABE AND ZANU-PF IN THEIR ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FORCES IN ZIMBABWEAN CIVIL SOCIETY. THE ZCTU AND ITS MEMBER UNIONS PROVIDE A READ