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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Government has gazetted the Tripartite Negotiating Forum Bill, which seeks to confer powers and functions of the forum in relation to consultation, cooperation and negotiation on social and economic issues by Government, business and labour.
The Bill is set to be tabled before Parliament soon.

It largely is expected to sail through with minor or no amendments.
Clause 3 of the Bill sets out the functions of the TNF, which is a body corporate capable of suing and being sued in its name.
The functions of the forum include consulting and negotiating over social and economic issues and submitting recommendations to Cabinet.

It will negotiate a social contract as and when necessary and foster cooperation of the tripartite constituents and consult other key stakeholders and contribute to the formulation and implementation of social and economic policies.
The TNF will also follow up and monitor implementation of agreements.

Government representatives to the forum will be appointed by the President, seven labour members nominated by labour and appointed by the line minister and seven business members.

There will be two observers drawn from the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and the National Economic Consultative Forum.
Clause 4 of the Bill sets out the qualifications of members, among them that one should be a citizen or permanently resident in Zimbabwe, must not have been declared insolvent and should not have a criminal record.

Clause 5 stipulates that it is the preserve of each constituency to remove a member from the main TNF provided that the removal should not take effect before the expiry of 14 days from the date of notification.

Clause 8 stipulates that the agenda of the main TNF should be set by the management committee composed of representatives from the ministry responsible for labour, business as nominated by the respective principals.
Clause 10 provides that decisions of the main TNF shall be by consensus.

“The decisions of the main TNF within the domain of socio-economic policy shall form recommendations to Cabinet,” reads Clause 10 of the Bill.