ILO bemoans Zimbabwe’s poor jobs environment

Source: ILO bemoans Zimbabwe’s poor jobs environment | The Financial Gazette May 3, 2018

By Own Correspondent

By Alois Vinga

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) has bemoaned Zimbabwe’s poor employment status and high levels of informality and has urged social partners to improve the economy.

Addressing an estimated crowd of 5 000 workers gathered at Dzivarasekwa Stadium to commemorate the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions organised workers day commemorations, ILO country director, Hopolang Phororo expressed concern over the country’s state of jobs.

“Zimbabwe commemorates this May Day while facing a challenging employment scenario with high levels of under employment and informality. Too many workers remain exposed to decent work deficits, and exclusion from formal social protection and labour administration systems. These challenges are especially pronounced for those in Zimbabwe’s rural and informal economy, where women and men work long and hard for very little returns, partly because in the absence of functioning social protection systems, their only alternative would be to have no income at all,” she said.

She pointed out that it had become understandable why some workers now doubted the futility of fighting for their rights and the effectiveness of the tripartite dialogue between workers, employers and government, given past experiences or perceptions of an uneven playing field in the collective bargaining process.

“Indeed we are at a crossroads; the time is now for workers to stop mourning, but to arise and organise. Now is the time for you to renew your belief in organising and establishing a single national position of workers, particularly on economic policy issues,” Phororo said.

Renowned economist, Godfrey Kanyenze, who also spoke to The Financial Gazette on the sidelines of the commemorations, noted that the prevailing environment was suffocating formal jobs,  thereby driving a lot of people into vending on the streets.

“Only 5,5 percent of the populace are in formal jobs due to persistent de-industrialisation. With economic progress, workers should be shifting towards manufacturing jobs which are more rewarding and socially protected. The current developments have, therefore, affected 98 percent of youths and especially women within the age range of 15 to 34 years as they are highly exposed to precarious work,” he said.

ZCTU president, Peter Mutasa, noted that challenges facing workers required a political solution.
“…against such a scenario, the country’s workers are forced to find a political path in ending the current problems. Trade unions in the past have always been involved in politics which is why that the likes of Benjamin Burombo, Joshua Nkomo and Morgan Tsvangirai participated in politics as a way of bringing responsible governments, which give an ear to issues bedeviling the working class,” Mutasa said.

The 2018 edition of the Workers Day was held under the theme: We Are at cross roads, Arise and Organise, Do not Mourn.