BAKERS INDUSTRY WORKERS UNION

BIWU is a member-run union for all Bakery workers, a union dedicated to organizing on the job, in our industries and in our communities. BIWU members are organizing to win better conditions today and build a nation with economic democracy tomorrow. We want our workplaces run for the benefit of workers and communities rather than for a handful of bosses and executives.

We are The Bakery Industrial Workers Union because we organize industrially.

This means we organize all workers producing the same goods or providing the same services into one union, rather than dividing workers by skill or trade, so we can pool our strength to win our demands together. Since BIWU was founded in 1990, we have made significant contributions to the labor struggles around ZIMBABWE and have a proud tradition of organizing across gender, ethnic and racial lines – a tradition begun long before such organizing was popular.

We invite you to become a member whether or not BIWU happens to have representation rights in your workplace. We organize the worker, not the job, and recognize that unions are not about government certification or employer recognition but about workers coming together to address common concerns.

Sometimes this means refusing to work with dangerous equipment and chemicals.

Sometimes it means striking or signing a contract. Other times it mean agitating around particular issues or grievances in a workplace or industry.

BIWU is a democratic, member-run union. That means members decide what issues to address, and which tactics to use and we directly vote on office holders, Shop stewards to national offices. Why wait? Join BIWU and organize for a better future.

The Preamble to BIWU Constitution – This is BIWU’s mission statement and call to action.%

Official BIWU Literature – Official BIWU literature is any literature, written by or about BIWU, that has been approved by BIWU National Executive Board (who are elected to five-year terms by a democratic vote of the dues paying membership), or by a direct vote of BIWU general membership.

Industrial Unionism – BIWU organizes industrially rather than by trade. Our goal is to organize all Baking industries into One Big Union.

Solidarity Unionism – we believe in working together with other trade unions that shares same vision with us. Here you can find out more about our unique and innovative organizing strategy, Solidarity Unionism.

How BIWU Differs from Business Unions – The business unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers.  BIWU offers a different vision

BIWU Stance on Political Parties and Anarchism – To the end of promoting industrial unity and of securing necessary discipline within the organisation, BIWU refuses all alliances, direct or indirect, with any political parties or anti-political sects, and disclaims responsibility for any individual opinion or act which may be at variance with the purposes herein expressed.