date: 1 December 2008

embargo: 00.01hrs Tuesday 2 December 2008

TUC backs Zimbabwean unions' call for banks to lift cash limits for workers

The TUC has today (Tuesday) called on British workers to flood the email account of Gideon Gono, Governor of Zimbabwe's Central Bank, urging him to allow ordinary workers in Zimbabwe to be able to withdraw enough money to pay their daily living costs.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has called for an end to the limit on the amount of money ordinary Zimbabweans can withdraw each day and wants workers in the country to march on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) this Wednesday (3 December) to demand their cash.

At present, people can only take out Z$500,000 a day (equivalent to just £5.32 on Monday 1 December, but worth less each day) which does not go far when a loaf of bread costs around Z$400,000 - double last week's price of Z$200,000 - a kilogram of sugar is Z$500,000 and a kilo of maize meal, Zimbabwe's staple food, goes for Z$400,000. (In October, the official inflation rate in Zimbabwe was 231,000,000 per cent.)

Meanwhile, shops have started selling what few goods remain in US dollars, and the rich, Mugabe-supporting elite are being allowed to take US dollars out of the country to buy goods abroad. This 'dollarisation' of the economy does not extend to ordinary workers, who are not paid in US dollars and cannot withdraw money in that currency or in sufficient quantities of Zimbabwean dollars to feed their families.

This Wednesday (3 December), a procession of workers will make its way to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in Harare where the ZCTU leadership will deliver a petition to the Governor. As well as emailing the Governor of the Zimbabwean Central Bank, the TUC would also like British workers to visit the Action on Southern Africa (ACTSA) website to register their solidarity with the ZCTU action.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Trade unionists in Zimbabwe are almost the only ones still standing up for ordinary workers as the country continues to fall apart. With cholera breaking out across the country, people need money for medicines and food, but Mugabe's cronies are too busy looting what little wealth Zimbabwe still has.

'Ordinary Zimbabweans are facing pain and misery on an epic scale. Only Zimbabweans can save their country, but we're calling on British workers to take a few moments out this week and show their support for the millions of workers in Zimbabwe who are struggling to survive.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- A TUC briefing is available at http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-15679-f0.cfm and the ACTSA email action page is at http://www.actsa.org/page-1415-Demand%20RBZ%20removes%20it%20cap%20on%20cash.html

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (600 words) issued 2 Dec 2008