Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has urged government to appreciate the importance of dialogue and inclusivity if Zimbabwe is to solve the current economic impasse that has seen prices of basic commodities skyrocketing beyond the reach of many.
Speaking during the Zimbabwe Working and the Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises (EESE) report launch organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) last week, ZCTU President Peter Mutasa said government officials should change their mindset of using force against those who demonstrate.
“A country is in a crisis and we must come to the table to sort things so I think the Trade Unions still has a bigger role to play and what we need to do is to ensure that we understand that the government cannot do it alone, business cannot do it alone, labour cannot do it alone so we need to come together and solve this issue.
“l think the mindset change has to come, that this is not the ideal situation that we want, l know policy makers especially the government have been teasing us, dicing and using force against us.
“That is the sign of failure on the government it’self that 94.5% of men and women who are earning out a living in the country are now doing so in the informal sector,” said Mutasa.
Responding to Mutasa’s remarks, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke said they will accept both negative and positive criticism for the betterment of the country.
According to the EESE report, 50,3 % of survey respondents believed the regulatory environment in Zimbabwe was sometimes a hindrance to running a small business, with 15,2 % finding it a major obstacle.
