Zanu PF, MDC unite to back Labour Amendment Bill

via Zanu PF, MDC unite to back Labour Amendment Bill – DailyNews Live 18 August 2015

HARARE – Both Zanu PF and opposition MDC MPs say they will support amendments to the Labour Amendment Bill, which have been brought to the national assembly for lawmakers to consider as long as the proposed changes benefit employees.

Following the termination on notice of an estimated 20 000 jobs by several companies in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling, President Robert Mugabe summoned Parliament from recess to amend the Labour Act and remove common law provisions that have been used by employers to unilaterally dismiss employees and letting them go empty-handed.

Zanu PF chief whip Jorum Gumbo told the Daily News yesterday that his party’s legislators would endorse amendments that will give relief to workers.

“As you might be aware, the Bill was gazetted while Parliament had adjourned and MPs are not privy to its contents but we are asking MPs to come and debate. We will not debate on behalf of Zanu PF but the workers in general so we support any amendments that will benefit them. These are matters of national interest so we urge all political parties to debate for workers,” Gumbo said.

Gumbo’s MDC counterpart, Innocent Gonese, also said opposition MPs were sympathetic to the plight of workers and would back amendments that will benefit the working class.

“We will take a collective decision when we caucus as a party but, without pre-empting the deliberations, you know we stand for workers, we are a product of the labour movement which means we naturally sympathise with all employees because they are our concern,” Gonese said.

The draft Bill was published in the Government Gazette last week proposing that all employees fired in the wake of the landmark Supreme Court of Appeal ruling on Zuva Petroleum managers, are entitled to a minimum compensation of two weeks wage for every year they served.