Defiant Zibawu digs in

THE Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (Zibawu) has vowed to go ahead with planned protests at bank directors’ private offices despite a police ban on the job actions.

This comes as the hostile labour body – led by Crisis In Zimbabwe chairperson and social activist Peter Mutasa – has recently been slammed for “truant conduct” after announcing through a series of X posts last week that it was going “to picket at directors’ offices” and despite security concerns of the parties involved.
“Your notification letter falls short of the requirements as specified in section 5 and 7 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act … and thus has not been sanctioned,” the Zimbabwe Republic Police said in a November 11 letter rejecting Zibawu’s protest request.

Zimbabwe Banks Allied Workers Union secretary-general Peter Mutasa

“By copy of this letter, officer in charge Borrowdale has been advised to disperse and arrest any unlawful demonstrations,” it said.
However, Mutasa and Zibawu are seemingly inclined, if not hell-bent, on wanting to embark on the planned strikes.
“We are going to picket and protest until banks start to respect workers and not attempt to misuse the police,” Zibawu said in a series of November 07 X posts.
“The law is clear and trade unions are permitted to picket without following the MPOA limitations,” the confrontational labour organisation said before claiming “some banking executives are boasting that they will not increase our salaries because we will not picket because the police will beat us.”
The Financial Gazette reported last week that Mutasa and Zibawu want “an extra 20 percent” hard cash pay rise – to earnings to 80 percent – in addition to the 15 percent increase they got or received in the first quarter and the fact that the salary negotiating window starts in January.
Crucially, the wage increase push is coming at a time when local financial institutions are battling liquidity problems caused by hiked statutory reserves and pressure from policymakers over service charges, which had emerged as the major source of income for banks as loans and other trading instruments have fallen in line with a challenging economic environment.
Despite acknowledging the fact that banks such as Ecobank and CBZ Holdings are among some of the highest paying, if not among the top three best employers, and the industry’s minimum wage is at around US$670, Mutasa and his organisation are determined to fight and potentially disrupt several institutions through “unreasonable demands”, and wildcat strikes. – newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw