US embassy cable - 03HARARE1062

UNCLAS HARARE 001062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/S, DRL 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
 
E. O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, ELAB, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT:  LABOR INCHES ITS WAY TOWARDS FURTHER MASS ACTION 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT FOR INTERNET POSTING. 
 
1.(SBU)  On May 27, the independent press published calls 
from the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change 
(MDC) for a week-long series of "marches" beginning on June 
2.  The press characterizes these as part of the "final 
push" to remove President Mugabe from power.  While labor 
contacts believe that some of their members will participate 
in the MDC action, labor leaders will not call for 
simultaneous action on their own part.  Instead, they plan 
to call for further stayaways in July, should the opposition 
action in June not bring about change. 
 
2. (SBU)  Comment:  This follows the pattern of the recent 
interplay between these two civic groups, wherein the MDC 
called for a stayaway in March, and the Zimbabwe Congress of 
Trade Unions (ZCTU) followed this with its own stayaway the 
following month.  Labor continues to be concerned with the 
separation of its role from that of the official opposition 
party.  Additionally, much of the ZCTU leadership's 
attention will be focused on the annual International Labor 
Organization's (ILO's) International Labour Conference in 
Geneva during the first week of June.  Several contentious 
issues raised during last year's conference will be 
addressed, and it is unlikely that any global call for 
action will take place during the absence of the ZCTU's 
President and Secretary General.  End comment. 
 
Sullivan