US embassy cable - 01HARARE862

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 
 
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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