Zimbabwe civil servants on hunger strike

HARARE, Wednesday

Zimbabwe’s striking civil servants say they are now resorting to a hunger strike after the cash strapped government ignored their month long job boycott.

The strike, which had threatened to cripple the one year old unity government, fizzled out after some unions aligned to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF started using it to decampaign Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai whom they accused of failing to live up to his election promises.

Leaders of the civil service Apex Council, which brings together unions representing the about 300,000 workers were scheduled to meet government representatives on Wednesday in Harare to map out the new strategy.

“We are going to stage a sleep in at the office of the Minister (Public Service) because we believe since he is the one representing us, he should listen to our plight,” said Mr Emmanuel Nyawo, of the Zanu PF aligned Zimbabwe Teachers Union.

“From the look of things, our demands have fallen on deaf ears but we will make sure the word reaches them.”