Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
WORKERS should be paid fairly in line with growth being experienced in the economy, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
In a statement ahead of May Day which will be commemorated worldwide today, President Mnangagwa said the importance of ensuring workers are rewarded fairly for their contributions cannot be overemphasised.
May Day, also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day, was first commemorated in 1889 and celebrates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement and is observed in many countries on May 1.
“The importance of ensuring workers are rewarded fairly for their contributions cannot be overemphasised. In this regard, I implore all employers to deploy innovative reward strategies. Our economic growth must cascade to the workers with their quality of lives being uplifted.
“All workers have to look into the future with hope as evidence is on the ground regarding transformation that the Second Republic is making in all sectors of the economy. Brick upon brick we are building this country. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, ilizwe lakhiwa ngabinikazi balo, workers included,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said this year’s celebrations come against the backdrop of a week where the country successfully hosted the 6th edition of the Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls and the 63rd edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo which brought to the fore the critical role played by workers in transforming Zimbabwe and the African continent.
“The economy is experiencing an unprecedented rejuvenation and growth despite the albatross of illegal sanctions on our country by some Western countries. In this regard, the projected economic growth of 3,8 percent is above regional average.
“Besides attainment of food security and sovereignty, the massive infrastructure construction inclusive of dams, roads, schools and now factories is a result of the contributions by our workers. Your resilience is highly commended,” President Mnangagwa said.
The President added that Government attaches great importance to the protection of workers’ rights as provided by the Constitution, the Labour Act and the respective collective bargaining agreements.
He said Government had also put in place measures to strengthen the Labour Inspectorate services as it provides the guarantee for the observance, enforcement and protection of workers’ rights at every work place.
“Let me take this opportunity to remind all employers that no work place is immune to the dictates and provision of our labour legislation.
“We shall leave no workplace behind in enforcement of our labour laws. I however, implore workers to work hand in glove with our inspectorates by being ‘eyes and ears’ of our labour inspection systems through reporting all incidences of violations of workers’ rights,” President Mnangagwa said.
The Labour Amendment Bill, which seeks to entrench workers rights at the workplace and also deal with emerging malpractices in the labour market, is being prioritised, the President said, adding that it should be finalised before the dissolution of Parliament.
“Given that social dialogue plays a pivotal role in advancing social justice in the world of work, efforts are currently underway to ensure that the Tripartite Negotiating Forum finds its true utility within the context of our shared national vision.
“My Government is accordingly supportive of the establishment of an independent TNF secretariat to strengthen and improve efficiency in the negotiations among Government, business and labour. This will ensure that there is industrial harmony, which is necessary for sustaining the growth trajectory currently being experienced by our economy,” President Mnangagwa said.
He urged the parties to the TNF to finalise the conclusion of a social contract as it was critical for the attainment of an upper middle income by 2030.
The President commended the parties to the various collective bargaining processes for continuing to find each other in negotiating for better working conditions as seen by the respective collective bargaining agreements that Government has promulgated.
He also said Government recognised the plight of informal sector workers and will soon launch a Formalisation Strategy aimed at addressing decent work deficits in the sector.
“The strategy is envisaged to deal with lack of occupational safety and health, exclusion from social protection and irregular employment relationships in the informal sector.
“As we celebrate May Day, we also take a moment to remember fellow workers who were injured, died or faced diseases resulting from unsafe work environments. Our aim is zero harm at the workplace. My Government, therefore, attaches great priority to the conclusion of the draft Bill on occupational safety and health with a view to providing a legal framework that addresses the challenges of occupational safety and health in our country,” President Mnangagwa said.