UNIONS ACTIONS AT NATIONAL LEVEL

Trade unions succeeded in ensuring the integration of decent work into Zimbabwe’s new development plan 2021-2025. The plan will act as a new entry point for the labour movement to promote the central role of decent work in overcoming the severe challenges the country is facing, and in supporting recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic.  For the first time in Zimbabwe’s history, the national development plan, incorporated key workers’ inputs, anchored on decent work and on the prioritisation of SDG 8 for recovery from the Covid-19 crisis and for the realisation of the 2030 Agenda.

Thus, the plan includes the following ten specific decent work strategies: 1) Developing and implementing a national action plan for the formalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises active in the informal economy; 2)Operationalising the national Tripartite Negotiating Forum; 3)Strengthening labour migration governance; 4)Modernising Zimbabwe’s Labour Case Management System; 5)Strengthening the Labour Inspectorate System to upscale the protection of labour rights and the promotion of safe work environments; 6) Synching labour laws with labour dynamics; 7) Expanding the coverage of occupational health and safety programmes to include the informal and public service sectors in; 8) Reviewing the Employment Policy including active labour market policies; 9) Engaging the private sector in the establishment of incubation hubs, labour intensive public works programmes, remodelling of skills and entrepreneurship development; and 10) Developing a functioning Labour Market Information System.