Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
A NEW book focusing on labour dispute resolution in Zimbabwe is set to transform the way workplace conflicts are understood and managed, providing locally grounded solutions to the country’s unique labour challenges.
Titled Labour Dispute Resolution in Zimbabwe, the book places dispute resolution at the intersection of industrial harmony, economic productivity, social justice and constitutional rights.
The book was edited by Dr Tapiwa Kasuso and co-authored by renowned labour law experts Dr Gift Manyatera, Dr Noar Maringe and Mr Reginald Mutero.
In an interview, Dr Kasuso said that despite the practical importance of labour dispute resolution and the frequency with which workplace conflicts arise, Zimbabwe has long lacked a single, dedicated text that systematically examines the legal and institutional architecture governing labour dispute resolution.
“Labour dispute resolution occupies a central place in the regulation of employment relations in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“It lies at the intersection of industrial harmony, economic productivity, social justice and constitutional rights.
“Despite its practical importance and the frequency with which labour disputes arise, Zimbabwe has, until now, lacked a single, dedicated text that systematically examines the legal and institutional architecture governing labour dispute resolution.”
Dr Kasuso said the book is the first comprehensive work devoted exclusively to labour dispute resolution in Zimbabwe and grounded in the Labour Act, an extensive body of subsidiary legislation, case law and institutional practice that has developed around it.
“It brings together doctrinal analysis and practical insight, reflecting the realities faced daily by labour officers, designated agents, arbitrators, legal practitioners, trade unionists, employers, and the courts,” he said
“While firmly rooted in legal theory, the book is equally concerned with how labour disputes are initiated, processed, adjudicated, and enforced within Zimbabwe’s dispute resolution framework.”
Organised into seventeen chapters, which collectively provide a coherent and integrated account of labour dispute resolution, the book adopts a holistic approach, tracing labour disputes from their origin through conciliation, arbitration, adjudication, enforcement and appeal.
“It is designed to serve as a reference text for judges, magistrates, legal practitioners, arbitrators, labour officers, designated agents, human resources practitioners, and policy makers,” he said.
“It is also written with students and scholars in mind, offering a structured and authoritative resource for the study and teaching of labour law.
“Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on clarity, coherence, and practical applicability, without sacrificing analytical rigour.”
Dr Kasuso expressed hope that the book will contribute meaningfully to the development of labour law in Zimbabwe and promote consistency and certainty in labour dispute resolution.
He also hoped that it would assist in strengthening the institutions tasked with maintaining fairness and stability in employment relations.
