via TNF convenes after half a decade – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 19, 2015 by Alois Vinga
The Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) held its first meeting yesterday almost five years after it met to discuss measures to deal with socio-economic issues affecting the country.
Speaking after the meeting, held in Harare, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Prisca Mupfumira said: “The issues that were discussed include the efforts made to legislate the TNF, the need to collectively work to build confidence in the country and the current state of the economy.
“The forum also resolved to fully implement the Kadoma Declaration in order to create an enabling economic environment and help address the country’s risk factors, while fostering a shared economic and social vision.”
She added: “The forum has also resolved to address the issues of productivity through establishment of the Zimbabwe National Productivity Institute which will assist in the discussion of the country’s economic productivity issues and will, in the meantime, be working through exploiting synergies with other existing bodies like the National Competitiveness Commission and the National Economic Consultative Forum.”
Zimbabwe is experiencing massive company closures and retrenchments spurred by the shrinking economy.
At the meeting, Mupfumira represented government, while the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe was represented by its president Jack Murehwa.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president George Nkiwane and his Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions counterpart Alfred Makwarimba represented labour.
However, most participants interviewed by NewsDay expressed reservations over the government’s commitment towards the TNF
A trade unionist who preferred anonymity said: “It has been government’s tendency to make promises. This is just one of those skills being showcased towards the International Labour Organisation Conference scheduled for next month and the government is doing this just to hoodwink ILO.”
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