Opinion / Columnist
Nelson Chamisa's war against workers should not be forgotten
10 Apr 2018 at 09:07hrs | Views
Why was Nelson Chamisa welcomed to the office of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) without asking him hard questions about his past as an MP and lawyer defending corporations against the average worker.
In 2015, while an MP, Chamisa was a key member of the team that defended Zuva Petroleum in the Zuva Petroleum Supreme Court Case. During the case, he readily dismissed and mocked our concerns and our workers' representatives as they stood up for our rights.
He showed utter contempt for us and actively worsened our plight and the plight of all workers. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of employer, Zuva Petroleum, in a judgment that triggered mass job terminations for about 9,000 workers, including myself.
Some at the time blamed Chamisa for hating workers so much as to want to see them die. I can tell you that losing my job at Zuva was a heavy blow I am yet to recover from, and one of the main protagonists was the current MDC-T leader.
The MDC was founded as a worker's party, but Chamisa has never been a worker and has never successfully advocated on our behalf, instead choosing the side of his rich and powerful clients. If he wants to lead our party he must do a massive mea culpa if he wants us to stand by his side the way we have with worker leaders like Tsvangirai, Khupe and Ncube.
He should beg our forgiveness and change his attitude towards us, especially those who lost our jobs at Zuva. The ZCTU and the MDC leadership need to ask him bluntly if Chamisa's attitude towards workers has changed and whether he now stands on our side or on the side of his wealthy clients.
Faith, Harare (Student)
In 2015, while an MP, Chamisa was a key member of the team that defended Zuva Petroleum in the Zuva Petroleum Supreme Court Case. During the case, he readily dismissed and mocked our concerns and our workers' representatives as they stood up for our rights.
He showed utter contempt for us and actively worsened our plight and the plight of all workers. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of employer, Zuva Petroleum, in a judgment that triggered mass job terminations for about 9,000 workers, including myself.
Some at the time blamed Chamisa for hating workers so much as to want to see them die. I can tell you that losing my job at Zuva was a heavy blow I am yet to recover from, and one of the main protagonists was the current MDC-T leader.
The MDC was founded as a worker's party, but Chamisa has never been a worker and has never successfully advocated on our behalf, instead choosing the side of his rich and powerful clients. If he wants to lead our party he must do a massive mea culpa if he wants us to stand by his side the way we have with worker leaders like Tsvangirai, Khupe and Ncube.
He should beg our forgiveness and change his attitude towards us, especially those who lost our jobs at Zuva. The ZCTU and the MDC leadership need to ask him bluntly if Chamisa's attitude towards workers has changed and whether he now stands on our side or on the side of his wealthy clients.
Faith, Harare (Student)
Source - Faith Hope
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