Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Zimbabwe: Mayday is International Workers' Day!

Zimbabwe teachers' protest January 2012

WE DEMAND JOBS FOR ALL AND A LIVING WAGE!
CAPITALISM WILL NOT PROVIDE A  LIVING WAGE,
WORKERS AND OPPRESSED FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM!


Workers the world over commemorate May Day in the context of a global
capitalist crisis that threatens to destroy all value created by the
workers over centuries as well as destroy in advance what is yet to be
produced. May Day is celebrated in recognition of the struggles by the
workers over the centuries and as a time to take stock of the reality
of the workers condition thereby finding the basis for charting a way
forward.

Here in Zimbabwe we celebrate International Workers Day in the context
of an accelerated attack on the living conditions of the workers and
the oppressed by imperialism which is fronted by local capitalists and
the brutal GNU. About 90% of the population are not in formal
employment with those in employment earning way below the poverty
datum line and working under deteriorating conditions whilst the
capitalists continue to amass massive profits on the back of brutal
exploitation and hoodwinking of the oppressed peoples.

We salute all the struggles by the workers in the last year especially
by the Civil Servants and most recently by the Bulawayo council
workers. Today we call upon all workers to join hands and fight for
jobs for all, a living wage, and better working conditions and to that
effect the RWG propose an action programme:

• Jobs for All! We demand a reduction of hours so that there are
enough jobs for everyone!
• A Living Wage! Workers fight for a living wage and better working
conditions through mass action controlled by ordinary workers!
• Forward with the civil servants strike action in demand of a living
wage in spite of the sell out union leaders!
• Workers break with ZANU (PF) and MDC who continue to tie workers to
different imperialist centres!
• Unite employed and unemployed in workers strike committees
nationally to prepare for a general strike!
• Workers form militant Workers’ Councils controlled by the rank and file activists and linked to the organisations of the poor
and oppressed!
• For Workers’ Councils and Workers’ defence committees to struggle
for a Workers’ and Oppressed Peoples’ Government!



ISSUED BY THE REVOLUTIONARY WORKERS GROUP (RWG) ZIMBABWE
01 MAY 2012