WASHINGTON DC —
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says it is concerned about the continuing decline in its membership as thousands of workers are losing jobs due to company closures, political uncertainty and poor performance of the Zimbabwe economy.
ZCTU secretary general Japhet Moyo told VOA Studio 7 the membership decline is weakening the organization as it has gone down from a peak of 300,000 in 2004 to 175,000 this year.
Moyo says this is devastating for an organization which thrives on numbers. “The situation is worrying as some parastatals owe workers large sums of money. We at times resort to litigation and end up attaching company property in order to raise money for employees’ salaries,” he said.
He said more than 10,000 workers are expected to lose their jobs this year as the country prepares for a crucial general election.
According to the ZCTU, at least 4,600 workers lost their jobs last year compared to 4,500 in 2011.
