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Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Ngoni Masoka chairs a Tripartite Negotiating Forum technical committee meeting in Harare yesterday

Felex Share Senior Reporter—
THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has abandoned workers in their time of need, with the pro-opposition umbrella labour representative body yesterday snubbing a meeting convened by the Government to finalise amendments to the Labour Act. The amendments are expected to cushion workers from being fired on three months’ notice without explanation following a recent ruling by the Supreme Court in that regard.

Workers yesterday questioned the sincerity of the MDC-T-linked union, saying it seemed the organisation was satisfied with the status quo which has seen thousands of workers being sent packing.

The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare convened an emergency meeting with employers and workers yesterday to iron out outstanding issues on the amendment of the Labour Act.

However, ZCTU and the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe snubbed the meeting.

The Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions attended the meeting together with representatives of various Government ministries. Government sources said it was surprising that an organisation supposed to have workers at heart would attempt to stall a process benefiting it.

“Startlingly, they (ZCTU) are the ones whose Rome is burning and they do not want to come and represent the workers to solve the situation,” said a Government source.

“With the Supreme Court ruling in our face, the ministry had to call for an emergency Tripartite Negotiating Forum technical committee meeting as directed by Cabinet and they did not turn up. They should know that despite their bunking, the process will not stop because Government has a responsibility to discharge to the people of Zimbabwe.”

The source said ZCTU wanted to abandon a process which it had for long been part of.

“Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, we were about to complete the amendments to the Labour Act and we had agreed on the principles in the spirit of tripartism,” said the source.

“They were approved by the Cabinet task-force on labour and the Attorney-General had come up with a Draft Bill which we gave the social partners to look at.

“All of them were to submit their input by last Friday. But they (ZCTU and Emcoz) decided to jump out of the ship at the last minute.”

Another Government source said by stalling the process, ZCTU and other anti-Government organisations thought civil disobedience would prevail.

“If anything, they should be the ones pushing Government for emergency meetings because they are the ones most affected,” said the source.

“As for Emcoz, their uncooperative behaviour is not surprising because they are benefiting from this unevenness. Government has made it clear that it wants a win-win situation, so the social partners should come and contribute.”

ZCTU secretary-general Mr Japhet Moyo said the meeting was announced at short notice.

“They called us a few hours before the meeting and I told them it was impossible for our lawyer who has been attending those meetings to attend,” he said.

But a Government source responded: “It is a crisis meeting and how does he expect to be notified a few days before?”

Mr Moyo said there was no guarantee that their views would be included in the Bill.

“What guarantee from Government do we have considering that we agreed on 13 principles and when the document went to Cabinet and the AG’s office, it came out a complete document?” he said.

“If they want they can go ahead without us.”

It is understood that Emcoz executive director Mr John Mufukare had promised to submit the employers’ side to the technical committee by 4pm yesterday, but did not do so.

Efforts by The Herald to call him did not yield results as he was not reachable.