SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
The number of Zimbabwean workers being retrenched in recent weeks has soared to alarming levels, leaving thousands of people facing desperate times. This is according to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which has raised concern about the government’s failure to encourage investment and job creation. ZCTU Secretary General Japhet Moyo told SW Radio Africa on Monday that figures, revealed during recent meetings of the government-created Retrenchment Board, indicate that retrenchments are affecting as many as 300 workers per week. He said that the figures indicate that over the past three months there have been retrenchments of up to 150 per week. But in the last two weeks of November the figures have risen to almost 300 per week. “We are aware that the economy has not been doing very well, but we didn’t think the figures would be so high. So it’s very disturbing. We didn’t expect this to happen just two months after an election, where promises of economic change were made,” Moyo said. He explained that the retrenchments, taking place in a country with over 80% unemployment, affect thousands of people as many families are dependent on single salaries. He explained this puts even more pressure on these families, predicting more school drop outs, rising poverty and rising crime. Moyo said that government policies which scare away potential investment were a serious problem, explaining that legislation like the Indigenisation Act “does not give confidence to those who want to invest and create jobs.”“I don’t see the problem being resolved until the government retracts such policies,” Moyo said.