COMMENT: Employers must respect and honour workers

LOCAL workers joined their colleagues from around the world to mark Workers’ Day yesterday.

The world, every May 1, recognises the indispensable role that the worker plays in the development of communities and nations.

The day is marked through marches, protests, gatherings and speeches revolving around the employee’s role in socioeconomic development. Their welfare also comes under discussion on that day.

This year, the day was commemorated under the theme “Restoring Workers’ Dignity.” The day was marked at a very challenging moment for many workers as their salaries and wages are being eroded by double-digit inflation and local currency depreciation.

Prices of various goods are rising frequently and salaries are failing to keep up the pace. According to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, a standard family of six needs around $95 000 monthly to be able to buy the basics. The challenge is a sizeable portion of workers isn’t earning that much.  

The Government, said President Mnangagwa in his message to mark the day, is working hard to create conditions for employees’ wages, salaries and welfare to be improved and for businesses to thrive honestly, not through corruption, sabotage and other counterproductive conduct.

“A prosperous society is only possible if you as workers continue to play your part,” said President Mnangagwa.

“As a country, we commend you for your efforts that have led to the present growth trajectory in our capacity utilisation, which is now at 66 percent.

Through the hard, honest work of our workers, the Zimbabwean economy has now graduated from stabilisation to growth.

In this regard, your dignity as workers, your value, wages and salaries must be commensurate with the resultant improving macro-economic fundamentals.

Employers are challenged to respect and honour the efforts being made by workers in modernising and industrialising Zimbabwe.”

He said local workers, through their industry, were bringing to reality the mantra “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo” by building the country “brick by brick and stone upon stone”.

He however, expressed dismay at the wanton price increases that, observers say, aren’t based on any fundamentals but some businesses’ urge to profiteer and undermine the economy.

“It is regrettable that prices have of late been increasing due to imported inflation,” he said. 

“My Government remains seized with redressing the situation through comprehensive strategies to ensure that there is no erosion of disposable incomes.”

The President is on-point when he says workers’ dignity must be restored. Honest, hard work must pay, not corruption.

A worker must be happy to go to work in the knowledge that at the end of every month, they receive a salary that is not just enough to buy food, clothing and some household effects, but also enough to build a decent house, to buy a modest car and for savings to fall back on after retirement.

A number of workers aren’t earning that much but there is no denying that the Government is fighting hard to ensure that the economy stabilises and grows.

For example, entities that are undermining the local currency which is resulting in price increases, are being disciplined.

To that end, some financial institutions were recently fined or banned from trading in foreign currency after they were caught conducting themselves in a manner that undermined the local unit.  

Also, we see the foreign currency auction assisting in mobilising foreign currency for companies that need to import.

This is an effort by the Government to cut businesses’ reliance on the parallel market for hard currency thus ensure greater stability on the market.  Workers will benefit if there is sanity in the currency market.

Another point worth noting is, as the President said, the increase in industrial capacity utilisation to 66 percent. 

We foresee it ending the year around the 70s or higher.  When industries produce, more jobs are created, jobs become more secure and wages increase.

The Government must intensify the foregoing and other measures to promote the well-being of industry and commerce and with that, the well-being of the worker.

But industry and commerce must behave. Workers must continue working hard as well.