Zim workers to protest cash withrawal limits

HARARE - Zimbabwe's labour movement will today press ahead with protests to force the country's central bank to scrap limits on the amount of cash people can withdraw from banks.


The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) plans to lead workers and ordinary consumers to their respective banks to demand their money back while the union plans to also hand a petition to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono demanding that he lifts limits on cash withdrawals.

ZCTU secretary general Wellington Chibebe told ZimOnline that police summoned some senior officials of the union in the central city of Gweru to tell them to call off protests in the city. They did not comply with the order to call of the cash protests.

ZCTU central region officials were summoned by police in Gweru today (Tuesday) to call off tomorrow's (Wednesday) action but the action continues, Chebebe said.

The RBZ, which is struggling to import special paper required to print banknotes, limits the amount of cash individuals and firms can withdraw from their banks per day as part of desperate measures to curb a shortage of cash.

State media reported this week that the central bank had increased cash withdrawal limits with individuals beginning Thursday now allowed to withdraw $100 million per week while companies can withdraw $150 million per week.

However, the new limits remain too low in a country suffering the world's highest inflation of 231 million percent and where people have to pay several millions of dollars for simple purchases such as household groceries.

Hyperinflation and the shortage of banknotes are the most visible signs of a severe economic crisis blamed on President Robert Mugabe’s policies and that is also seen in shortages of food and basic commodities.

The ZCTU has in the past staged crippling job boycotts, but of late calls for strikes have received muted response from workers.

Analysts said this was mainly a result of government intimidation and workers’ fears of losing their jobs in a country that has an 80 percent unemployment rate.

Meanwhile doctors and nurses who have been striking over poor pay and to pressure the government to act to save the public health sector from total collapse say they will step up protests today by marching to the Ministry of Health's Kaguvi building head office in Harare.

"We will be protesting at Kaguvi building tomorrow morning at 0800 am sharp. The strike is starting at 0800 am sharp, Hospital Doctors Association chairman Amon Sivaregi said.

Police thwarted an attempt by doctors to stage similar protests more than two weeks ago.

Zimbabwe's once admired public health system has collapsed after years of poor funding and mismanagement, worsened by an exodus of the most skilled doctors and nurses to foreign countries where salaries are better. – ZimOnline

Post published in: Mining

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