By Fanuel Chinowaita
TRADE unions and civic organisations have called for living wages, safer working conditions and greater representation of young people, informal workers and people with disabilities, warning that insecure employment and exclusion from decision-making continue to undermine workplace democracy.
The call was made during commemorations of World Day for Decent Work held at the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) offices in Mutare on Saturday, October 10, where labour representatives and civic organisations called for stronger protection of workers’ rights and greater participation in workplace decision-making.
The gathering was held under the theme, “Fight for Democracy: Young Workers Organising for the Future”.
Delivering the ZCTU message, Workers Advisory Council (WAC) Vice-Secretary Elizabeth Masango outlined the importance of decent work and explained its four pillars: employment creation, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue.
Employment creation focuses on providing opportunities for productive and freely chosen work, while rights at work protect workers against exploitation and discrimination and uphold their freedom to organise.
Social protection provides safeguards against economic and social risks, including illness, workplace injuries and loss of income, while social dialogue promotes engagement among workers, employers and government in addressing labour issues.
The four pillars underpin efforts to promote fair remuneration, safe workplaces, social security and the right of workers to participate in decisions affecting their livelihoods.
In its statement marking the occasion, the ZCTU said decent work was a constitutional right rather than a privilege granted by employers or the government.
“Decent work is not a philanthropic gift from employers or government. It is an inalienable constitutional right enshrined in Section 65 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” the labour body said.
The ZCTU identified weak enforcement of labour laws, poor wages, pension value losses, precarious employment, unemployment and inadequate occupational health and safety infrastructure among the major challenges facing workers.
It called for a mass organising drive to incorporate informal and digital platform workers into trade union structures, the establishment of a national defence fund for victimised workers and a unified wage-bargaining strategy linking minimum wages to the Poverty Datum Line in a value-preserving currency.
The labour body also said its forthcoming 10th National Elective Congress should prioritise strategies to address workers’ challenges rather than focus solely on leadership contests.
Meanwhile, civic organisations used the gathering to highlight the need to extend decent work principles beyond the formal employment sector.
Michelle Sithole, representing the Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Association, said decent work should benefit workers, young people and those operating in the informal sector.
Her remarks highlighted the need for inclusive employment policies that recognise the contribution of informal workers, who often lack the protections and benefits enjoyed by formally employed workers.
A representative of an organisation advocating for people with disabilities also raised concerns about the limited representation of people with disabilities in discussions and structures dealing with employment and workers’ rights.
He said it appeared that no one was adequately representing people with disabilities, highlighting the need to ensure their voices were heard in labour advocacy and decision-making processes.
The gathering also heard concerns about challenges facing young women in the mining industry, particularly gender discrimination, sexual harassment, insecure contracts and limited representation in workplace decision-making.
In a presentation on workplace democracy, Sandra Gamunorwa highlighted the experiences of young women in the diamond mining sector, saying their contributions were often overlooked despite their involvement in sorting, cleaning, catering, security and other activities linked to mining operations.
“When we talk about workplace democracy in the mines, people think of men with helmets underground. They forget us, the young women,” Gamunorwa said.
She said gender stereotypes restricted young women’s access to better-paying jobs and opportunities for career advancement.
“Mining is called a ‘man’s job’. When a young woman wants to be a blaster, a driver, or a supervisor, they say ‘you can’t’. So we are pushed to low-paying jobs with no promotion. How is that democracy?” she asked.
Gamunorwa also raised concerns about the vulnerability of women employed on fixed-term contracts, saying fear of losing their jobs discouraged some from reporting safety violations and harassment.
“If you complain about safety or harassment, your contract ends next month. So we keep quiet,” she said.
She further cited concerns about inadequate sanitation facilities, a lack of appropriate personal protective equipment for women and alleged sexual harassment, including demands for sexual favours in exchange for employment opportunities.
“Where do we report when the boss is the friend of the perpetrator?” she asked, questioning the effectiveness of reporting mechanisms where alleged perpetrators had close relationships with those responsible for handling complaints.
Gamunorwa called for stronger representation of young women in trade union leadership, works councils and collective bargaining structures, as well as appropriate protective equipment, maternity protection and effective mechanisms for reporting sexual harassment.
“Young women must be in every bargaining team and workers committee, not as tokens, but as negotiators,” she said.
She also urged trade unions to expand their organising efforts to include women involved in informal diamond sorting, cutting and polishing activities, alongside those affected by relocation.
The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZIDAWU), in its solidarity message, called for safer workplaces, fair wages, secure employment and stronger protection against workplace violence and discrimination.
The union said decent work required functional works councils, safety committees and effective collective bargaining, arguing that workers, particularly young people, needed to organise to defend their rights.
It raised concerns over accidents in mines, exposure to chemicals on farms and inadequate personal protective equipment in the timber and food industries.
ZIDAWU also condemned precarious contracts, casualisation and wage theft, calling for written employment contracts, equal pay for work of equal value and improved social protection for young workers.
The union further called for the implementation of International Labour Organisation Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace, saying young women should be able to work without fear of discrimination or abuse.
Closing the meeting, ZCTU Eastern Region chairperson Obert Mucheto urged workers to unite and fight for their rights.
Mucheto emphasised that solidarity among workers was essential to securing better working conditions and protecting their interests.
The ZCTU said trade unions needed to move beyond negotiating wages to address the broader conditions that determine decent work, including workplace monitoring, legal enforcement, worker organisation and social dialogue.
It also urged young workers to organise across formal workplaces, informal trading spaces and digital platforms, arguing that greater participation was essential to building an inclusive labour movement.
“When young workers organize, they do not just secure a job—they defend democracy itself,” the ZCTU said.
