Sexual abuse rampant in banks

There is rampant sexual harassment of female workers in the banking sector where managers threaten those who decline their advances with expulsions, parliamentarians heard on Monday.

Representatives from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions who appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare told of how employers also use the Labour Amendment Act passed into law last year to convert workers' contracts from permanent to one-year fixed contracts.

They said employers took advantage of employees by applying the carrot and stick method in order to have their way.

ZCTU vice president Mr Peter Mutasa said female employees were the most affected. "We have instances where female employees are now being sexually harassed," he said.

"You have to choose between being abused and a three months' notice. If it's a female-headed household you can guess what the employee will choose.

"In short, the impact of that amendment is that it eroded all the other pieces of law that seek to protect workers."

MPs asked that he corroborates his claims by clearly stating where such abuses were rampant.

"We have done a survey in the banking sector and the figures coming from these banks are too high. You hear women testifying that ‘our managers are telling us to book for lodges and hotels using our own money and say call us when you are ready.

"Managers will be holding a three-months termination letter. If you don't want, you are put on the (termination) list. So people are suffering. Women are suffering much more than men with this amendment. If we don't protect labour by protecting job security, we are destroying the nationhood of this country which is against our ideals," said Mr Mutasa.