Why Zim has no strikes

[BBSA]

http://www.fin24.com/opinion/columnists/why-zim-has-no-strikes-20121012

ZIMBABWEAN workers in most spheres of the economy might be earning far less than their South African counterparts, but going on strike is a luxury they cannot afford.

While South African miners demanded and some were awarded wages above R11 000, their Zimbabwean counterparts are earning less than R2 000.

I am sure the wages of South African truckers are currently way above those of their Zimbabwean counterparts. Mind you, South African miners are earning wages above the average $250 that Zimbabwean civil servants are earning.

Surprisingly, Zimbabweans rarely go on strike, and in the cases where they have done so employers simply ignore them until they come back to work.

Civil servants demonstrated in the streets of Harare in July and handed over a petition at parliament in which they called on government to urgently address their grievances for a salary increase. However, up to now nothing has materialised.

They last had a salary hike in July 2011 and government had promised to award another increase in January this year, which never happened.

Although government workers have gone on strike here and there, the results have been the same – no increment. The situation is even more telling for workers in private companies who rarely go on strike.

Are Zimbabwean workers satisfied with their remuneration?

Brett Chulu, a Zimbabwean-based strategic human resources consultant, says it will be naïve to suggest that employees in Zimbabwe are satisfied with their pay.

“Given our economic hardships you would think strikes should be highly frequent in Zimbabwe, but two key differences account for the low prevalence of strikes in Zimbabwe, despite poor remuneration.

“First, employees in Zimbabwe are soberly looking at the economic realities facing the country such as power shortages, high cost of utilities and low capacity utilisation, for instance.

"The space for companies to offer substantial increments without inducing bankruptcy is very slim.”

Chulu says some employees are going for as long as three months without getting paid, because they know going on a strike to press for high wage demands is really a pointless exercise.

Driven to the wall, companies will simply take the retrenchment route, which under current economic circumstances will in all likelihood be accepted by the Retrenchment Board.

“Few employees would be so naïve as to put their head on the block. In the services industry, such as banking, technology can easily replace humans.

"It is far easier to deal with ‘machines on strike’ than with humans on strike,” says Chulu.

Chulu believes Zimbabwean employees in general have become accomplished survivalists, owing to a decade of severe socioeconomic hardship.

“They are finding and perfecting ways of supplementing their meagre wages. Some of the ways are moonlighting (getting part-time jobs) and microbusiness ventures, for instance.

“It is not uncommon to find for some employees doing their private work during working hours. Some are supplementing their meagre incomes with financial assistance from relatives and friends in the Diaspora,” he says.

Chulu reckons there are cases where some employees resort to unethical practices, such as soliciting bribes from customers and clients.

“In short, employees would rather spend their time and energy strategising on how to supplement their meagre salaries than toyi-toying.”

In principle, the Zimbabwe Labour Act (Chapter 28:01) makes provision for collective job action. You strike when you think there is a possibility of squeezing more juice from the employer.

But when the orange is clearly over-squeezed, what’s the point of squeezing further?

These are the realities confronting the Zimbabwean employee. If you lose a job, chances of getting another are very slim.

So workers would rather get something from their current job and supplement the two pennies with other income sources.

Memory Nguwi, a registered psychologist and managing consultant with an industrial psychology consultant in Zimbabwe, agrees.

Nguwi says the reason why there are no strikes in the country is because Zimbabweans have gone through a decade of prolonged economic suffering, and they know what being unemployed means.

“If they lose their job, there is no hope of getting another one locally because the economy is not creating jobs. Instead, the economy is losing jobs.

“I think it’s almost a case of half a loaf is better than nothing,” says Chulu.

“Currently even in cases where employees have gone for months without pay they are not striking, and this shows the extent of the economic challenges we are facing. Strikes happen where people normally think they have plan B should they lose a job.”

However, even when they strike people always underestimate employers' response and in most cases, employees end up on the losing end because they normally do not get the right advice.

 

[w1z4rd]

So what this story is saying. If you want really bad salaries go live in a ****ty dictatorship like Zimbabwe. Got it. A place where unions are kept in their place like China.

The ITUC is releasing today a report on core labour standards in Zimbabwe coinciding with the Trade Policy Review at the WTO. The report finds systematic abuses against trade unions and poor compliance with other international labour standards.

Cant believe people would wanna follow Zimbawe`s example. How did that work out for them?

 

[Mars]

isnt juju heading over there to take notes?

 

[Sneeky]

So what this story is saying. If you want really bad salaries go live in a ****ty dictatorship like Zimbabwe. Got it. A place where unions are kept in their place like China.

Cant believe people would wanna follow Zimbawe`s example. How did that work out for them?

The article is not implying one should follow the Zim model, it is merely offering a perspective.

A key difference is there is also no political capital to be gained in Zim going on strike, as their is in SA with the age old argument of how evil capitalism is and the white people, cause frankly their economy is shot to szhit and they expelled most of the pale faces already so that angle won't fly anymore.

A glimpse into the future of SA should we continue along the same path of unions waging an irrational war on industry who do their damnedest to meet a social responsibility to employ as many as they can considering our legacy.
The mines for instance would love to move more towards mechanization, this will result in massive job losses. Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

PLenty of jobs to be shed next year (apart from those already lost) as a result of these latest strikes.
Many more will loose than those that believe they have been successful, a hollow victory, wait for it. Its pure economics.

 

[w1z4rd]

A glimpse into the future of SA should we continue along the same path of unions waging an irrational war on industry who do their damnedest to meet a social responsibility to employ as many as they can considering our legacy.

I tend to look at Scandinavia and Canada for my insight there. Thats where unions have more power and are strong. . I dont use a country like ZImbabwe where unions are oppressed and workers have almost no rights as an example.

The mines for instance would love to move more towards mechanization, this will result in massive job losses. Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

They should do it. They can no longer use slave labour to make open pit mines like they did in the past. Times are definitely a changing. They either have to pay a fair wage or mechanize. I heard on the radio that mechanising a lot of the jobs will cost 200k jobs... over 20 years.

I have absolutely no problem with people fighting for better pay and working conditions, only time I get upset is when there is violence. However, desperate people do desperate things. It is very hard to agitate a man with a full stomach.

 

[Ricard]

Zim does have strikes... very poor research or misleading headline.

http://www.bancabc.co.zw/news/strike-season-threatens-zimbabwe's-economy.aspx

Strike season threatens Zimbabwe's economy

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-5739-Ministers seek end to Air Zim strike/news.aspx

A STRIKE by Air Zimbabwe pilots entered its sixth day on Thursday with ministers said to be preparing a financial offer which could end the dispute by the weekend.
The pilots walked out on Friday last week, demanding US$200,000 each in pay and allowance arrears before returning to work.

http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-20932-article-Civil+servants+set+to+strike.html

Civil servants set to strike
2012 October 05 | 3393 Views
CIVIL servants are set to embark on a strike today, to put pressure on the government to raise salaries and pensions even as the cash to do so is running out.Finance Minister Tendai Biti is seeking $400m from Southern African Development Community nations, to plug a hole in the budget created by th...

http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news...-Zimbabwe+teachers+moot+crippling+strike.html

Zimbabwe teachers moot crippling strike
2012 September 12 | 2390 Views
As schools open for the third term today, students sitting for end of year public examinations face an uncertain future.Underpaid teachers say they are planning a crippling strike, most likely in October when examinations are due.Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zho...

 

[MickeyD]

There may be a strike or two but here is why the strikes will never be successful...



Fear.

 

[TheGuy]

I have on good authority that when their are strikes or protests in Zim the Police has no problem on opening fire.

 

[Thugscub]

No strikes cos there is no work. Our overweight fat ass population should take note of what happens when there is no money and no food.

 

[patrick]

Yep. On the other hand I doubt our population would let think sink so far without a huge uproar. The protesting masses are our insurance policy preventing the government from collapsing too far. All that remains to be seen is how far do they think too far is...

 

[Thugscub]

A long lost hope.This country is riddled with poverty.