Government dismisses impact of strike action

The Zimbabwean government has dismissed the impact of a planned three-day stayaway called by the labour movement for Wednesday, and accused the trade unions of playing politics.

"The stayaway is supposed to have been called by the ZCTU [Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions] but they have no [labour] grievances. They are protesting against the elections but they are not related to labour concerns," senior ruling ZANU-PF official, Emerson Mnangagwa, told IRIN on Tuesday.

Mnangagwa, the powerful speaker of parliament and ZANU-PF secretary for administration, said the ZCTU's three-day strike was called in collaboration with the opposition and white employers who he alleged were prepared to pay their workers to stay at home. "It's an alliance between the white employers, the ZCTU and the MDC [opposition Movement for Democratic Change]."

The police on Tuesday declared the strike action illegal. A police statement reportedly accused the ZCTU of trying to whip up public support against President Robert Mugabe and warned that "the law will be fully applied against those who participate [in] and orchestrate these illegal activities."

Mnangagwa said the stayaway was only of "political nuisance value" and would not effect the government's plans to pull Zimbabwe out of its deepening economic crisis. "We've got over the hurdle of the presidential elections. What is left now is for the country and government to implement its economic recovery programme."

Zimbabwe continues to be polarised over the official results of the 9-11 March presidential election, which Mugabe won with 56 percent of the vote against his MDC challenger Morgan Tsvangirai's 42 percent. However, the poll has been condemned as deeply flawed by local election monitors and some international observers.

Calls for an internationally supervised re-election by Tsvangirai this week were dismissed as a "pipe dream" by Mnangagwa. He said that initiatives reportedly led by South Africa for a government of national unity as a way of healing the country's political divisions were "currently not on our agenda".

"We'll examine it, we'll look at it," said Mnangagwa, who has been tipped by some analysts as Mugabe's chosen successor. But, he added: "We had a simple, straight forward election for president. It went well and it's over ... We have a huge majority [in parliament] and I don't see why there should be a transitional arrangement."

However, Tsvangirai told IRIN on Tuesday that economic pressures on Mugabe could force him to negotiate with the opposition. But he would resist any political deal unless the government called a halt to alleged violence and "retribution" against MDC members.

"If Mugabe feels we can help him to solve his problems he can forget fit," Tsvangirai said. "He has sworn himself in as president, let him continue, his position is not sustainable. He hasn't got any economic resources or legitimacy."

The former trade union leader said proposed talks with the government, as urged on Monday by the leaders of South Africa and Nigeria, could only take place once political violence was halted and "repressive legislation" repealed. Tsvangirai said a transitional government could then be put in place to create the conditions for fresh elections.

He added: "I have just come from a national council meeting and there is no evidence of divisions [within the party]. People are united and realise the MDC is the future and are not tempted by short term gains."

Tsvangirai said he was not worried about treason charges lodged by the government over his involvement in an alleged plot to "eliminate" Mugabe. "I'm not worried about that. It's intended as harassment. If he wants he can arrest me any time [but the government would not get] a conviction."