adminPeter Matambanadzo in MUTARE
Government and the International Labour Organisation are working on a national labour inspection and enforcement policy framework, aimed at ensuring that labour laws, including safety and health standards, are adhered to by employers, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Mr To- ngai Muzenda has said.
He said this while officially opening a week-long workshop on labour inspection for labour inspectors from the National Social Security
Authority and labour agents from the employment councils, which started on Monday.
“The Government is committed to strengthening the labour inspection system through the labour tool kit. The national labour inspection and enforcement policy framework is aimed at creating operating synergies.
“Among the inspection bodies that it wants are, inspectors in the ministry who are the inspectors of the first order and also being general inspectors dealing with wages and general conditions of service across all sectors,” Mr Muzenda said. He said the policy will ensure that there is a systematic, synchronised and professional approach to labour inspections by a well-trained inspectors.
“Capacity building in all respects drives modern labour inspections. For labour inspectors to be effective and efficient, they need to receive adequate training to be equipped with new labour inspection techniques,” Mr Muzenda said.
He noted that issues of ethical conduct on the part of labour inspectors was also critical hence the move by Government to come up with this policy.
“It is in this regard that the ministry is working together with the ILO has mooted the idea of a code of ethical behaviour for labour inspections which are part of the tool kit.
“It is an instrument to fight corruption among other critical negative behavioural tendencies which can be associated with labour inspectors,” he said. He also said labour inspectors need to be equipped with skills to handle special issues such as child labour and the informal sector.
“Decent work deficiencies are found in the informal sector and as such labour inspectors need to inspect the undertakings in the informal sector to ensure that the labour law including safe and health aspects are being adhered to by players in the informal sector,” he said. The labour inspectors are deliberating on three documents constituting the labour inspection tool kit for Zimbabwe – the drafts on the national labour inspection and enforcement policy framework, the code on ethical behaviour for labour inspectors and the customised labour inspection training manual. The workshop is being conducted to empower labour inspectors to examine how national labour standards are applied in the workplace and advise employers and workers on how to improve the application of national law in matters as working time and wages.
In addition, labour inspectors are discussing how to bring to the notice of national authorities loopholes and defects in national law.
Labour inspectors play an important role in ensuring that labour law is applied equally to all employers and workers.
Because the international community recognises the importance of labour inspection, the ILO has made the promotion of the ratification of two labour inspection conventions (Nos. 81 and 129) a priority.
To date, more than 130 countries about 70 percent of ILO member states including Zimbabwe have ratified the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), and more than 40 have ratified Convention No. 129.
According to the ILO challenges remain in countries where labour inspection systems are underfunded and understaffed, and consequently unable to do their job.
Some estimates indicate that in some developing countries less than one percent of the national budget is allocated to labour administration, of which labour inspection systems receive only a small fraction.
Other studies show that the costs resulting from occupational accidents and illnesses, absenteeism, abuse of workers and labour conflict can be much higher.
Labour inspection can help prevent these problems and thereby enhance productivity and economic development.
Online Reporter