THE Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has been admitted to the Switzerland-based IndustriALL Global Union (IndustriALL), becoming the seventh union from Zimbabwe to be affiliated there.
By Dumisani Nyoni
The decision to admit ZDAMWU to be part of the global union was reached at the organisation’s executive virtual meeting held in Geneva on the 17th of June this year.
In a statement following the admission of ZDAMWU, IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches said: “I am happy to inform you that the executive committee, at its virtual meeting, held in Geneva on the 17th of June 2020, approved your request for affiliation to IndustriALL Global Union.”
IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in the energy, mining, and manufacturing industries organized by 700 unions in more than 140 countries around the world.
The global union federation is taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the globe challenging the power of multinational companies and negotiating with them at that level on a win-win situation.
“We are fighting for another model of globalisation and a new economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice,” Sanches added.
He said his organisation was looking forward to working closely with ZDAMWU in their global struggle to build union power through organising and growth, defending trade union rights, confronting global capital, fighting against precarious work and ensuring sustainable industrial employment.
Accepting the admission to IndustriALL, ZDAMWU general secretary, Justice Chinhema said the union will use the opportunity to explore and share experiences with other unions under the IndustriALL banner to develop and strengthen its capacity to recruit and organise more members in the mining industry in Zimbabwe.
“Our union is currently seized with organising new members, who for a long time have been given a raw deal by predecessor unions. We are rolling our organising and education programmes as a way of strengthening union power,” he said.
“We seek to build solidarity and create networks with alike organisations at national, regional, and international levels,” Chinhema said.
ZDAMWU has become one of the fast-growing unions in the mining industry with a membership of over 6 000 and has established branches across the county’s mining districts.
According to its strategic plan, the union is aiming to organize 75% of the more than 60 000 workers in the mining industry excluding those in the small scale mining sector by 2025.
IndustriALL challenges the power of multinational companies and negotiates with them on a global level. It also fights for another model of globalisation and a new economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.
Founded on 19 June 2012, the organization brings together affiliates of the former global union federations: International Metalworkers’ Federation, International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions, and International Textiles Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation.
It represents workers in a wide range of sectors.
