Zambia clamps down on union congress

Labor Minister Basil Kabwe said the government had banned travel abroad by leaders of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions, the official Zambia News Agency reported. The announcement followed reports that leaders of the union congress had decided not to attend a meeting with the minister due to take place over the weekend. The meeting had been intended to patch up relations between the congress and the United National Independence Party, after the expulsion of 17 congress executives from the party in January.