afrol News, 20 December - The Zimbabwe government continues to pay the price of its gross violations on the rights of its opponents, with economic and travels sanctions from most western states being most hurtful. Of late, Harare seems to adjusting itself, although it has been difficult.

That however did not appease right activists who renewed their calls on the international community to force the Robert Mugabe-led regime to accept the principles of democracy and respect the rule of law.

That was why the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) dispatched a written protest to the European Commissioners for External Relations and Development and Humanitarian Aid, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Louis Michel, urging the bloc not to drop its "smart sanctions" against the Zimbabwe government.

Founded only on 1 November following a merger of two global trade union groupings, ITUC represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories. It also has 304 national affiliates.

The EU is expected to review its smart sanctions measures in early 2007 and has so far given any indications it may ease its sanctions on Zimbabwe.

"At a time when trade unionists in Zimbabwe have been so savagely attacked and as the Zimbabwean economy descends into disaster, it would send completely the wrong signal if the EU backed down on sanctions now," read a joint letter signed by General Secretaries of ITUC and ETUC, Guy Ryder and John Monks.

In addition, ETUC has asked its affiliates in the EU to pile pressures on their national governments to keep the sanctions on Zimbabwe.

The EU sanctions, adopted in 2002, include an arms embargo, a freeze on assets, and visa restrictions on senior officials of the Mugabe regime.

Officials from the syndicalist movement are concerned that the Zimbabwe government is staging a concerted bid to get these measures repealed next year, despite the fact it is still failing to pass EU's benchmarks for respect of trade union and human rights.

In September this year, trade unionists around the world staged a day of action in solidarity with beaten and arrested workers by the Zimbabwean authorities. The workers were striking against mounting rise of cost of living and poverty, which were caused by the bad policies of their government.

At the weekend, Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has extended President Mugabe's mandate by two years, much to the dismay of opposition and civil liberty groups in the country. President Mugabe now expects to stay in power until 2010, promising there will be no great shifts in Zimbabwe government policies until then.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories