UP TO 200 trade unionists from Britain, including leading officials of the TUC and its affiliated unions, including UNISON, the TGWU, Amicus, Prospect and the ATL, took part in a picket of the Zimbabwe High Commission in central London yesterday.
The British TUC demanded that all charges are dropped against trade unionists arrested and assaulted during peaceful protests in Zimbabwe last week, and that trade unionists in the country be allowed to exercise their democratic rights without state interference.
Stuart Herdson, president of the ATL teaching union, said: ‘There was a recent demonstration where approximately 500 teachers took to the streets in Harare, demanding payment, which was broken up by police and the three organisers were taken into custody and beaten up.’
Wellington Chibhanguza and Alois Mbawara, from Free Zim Youth, said: ‘The trade unionists informed the government of a demonstration against the sky-rocketing price increases in Zimbabwe and highlighting the plight of workers.
‘The government used the police force and soldiers and the demonstration didn’t even get to kick off, because the government squashed it.’
