Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. By Alois Vinga –
THERE was drama Thursday when labour federations walked out on Labour Minister Paul Mavima in protest over the alleged collusion between government and business bent on stifling workers’ rights.
Representatives from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) alongside the usually pro-government unions like the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) and the Apex Council joined forces in rare unity birthed by increasing hardship against the working class and left the Tripartite Negotiation Forum meeting in a huff.
Sources privy to the developments said the move was in protest against Mavima’s conduct of ignoring pertinent issues affecting workers and instead prioritising discussions on government policies among others.
ZCTU secretary general Japhet Moyo confirmed the development to NewZimbabwe.com soon after leaving the meeting.
“Yes. We walked out of the meeting because it was not deliberating on any solutions to problems affecting the country’s workers. Last year, government set the national minimum wage at $2 500 but this time around Minister Mavima declined to do so saying that the responsibility should be left to National Employment Councils (NECs),” he said.
“But this cannot be the case and it is clear that the government is conniving with employers to perpetuate workers’ hardships.”
The ZCTU secretary general also raised concerns over the reluctance by the government to urgently resolve the payment of salaries in United States dollars or at least local currency rated accordingly due to escalating dollarisation of the economy.
Moyo argued that there was an urgent need for the government to step in and set a minimum wage for all sectors since some NECs are ineffective and at the same time being taken advantage of by employers who opt to declare a deadlock and stick to the paltry minimum wage set last year.
“If TNF cannot resolve such pertinent issues in the midst of worsening economic hardships choking the working class it is then clear that the platform is useless and biased. We need to resolve people centered problems and avoid burning hours in meetings which cannot resolve anything,” said Moyo.
Efforts to get a comment from Mavima were fruitless at the time of going to print.
The developments come at a time when the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has ranked Zimbabwe among the world’s 10 worst countries in protecting the welfare and rights of workers.
