EU to unveil decent work project 

Source: EU to unveil decent work project | The Financial Gazette May 3, 2018

By Own Correspondent

By Alois Vinga

THE European Union (EU) is set to unveil a three-year €700 000 decent work programme, which will contribute to democratisation, social peace and stability in Zimbabwe.
According to a EU delegation to Zimbabwe, the programme will involve trade unions as primary civil society actors representing ordinary working citizens, enabling them to meaningfully participate in policy decisions.

A pre-launch document said the EU would financially support the programme, to be rolled out in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), the Labour Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ) and the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA).

“Through this action, FES will work directly with ZCTU, LEDRIZ as co-applicant partners to build the capacity of the trade unions sector in Zimbabwe in order to have a meaningful voice in representing the needs and concerns of ordinary working Zimbabweans. In recognition of the changed structure of the current Zimbabwean workforce, (they) will work with ZCIEA as an affiliate partner to ensure that the informal sector workers are better represented in policy dialogue and that the informal sector workers rights are better aligned with those working in the formal sector,” he said.

ZCTU secretary-general, Japhet Moyo, told The Financial Gazette that they appreciated the gesture, which would go a long way in capacitating trade unions.

“The landscape has greatly transformed over the years hence the need to take advantage of the programmes to sharpen the workers skills,” he said.

He said that after 42 months of the project, the programme was expected to impact on the status of vulnerable and marginalised groups through improved gender focus within the trade union movement as a result of increased women representation in decision-making bodies, participation of youth members in trade union activities, public decision-making bodies, initiating improved understanding and consideration of the needs of disabled workers by including their representatives.

EU has extended support running into millions of dollars to both civic society organisations and government departments in Zimbabwe. Recently, the EU availed a €23 million (about R392 million) to support healthcare provision, job creation and democratic transition in Zimbabwe.