Tinaye Agere
Theseus Shambare
BUSINESSES must prioritise social and environmental goals alongside financial performance, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) director-general, Mr Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, has said.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with Government officials, labour and business representatives in Harare on Monday, Mr Houngbo emphasised the need for a shift in corporate mindset.
“The days of prioritising profits over people and the planet are over,” he said.
“We need businesses to recognise their social and environmental obligations and to integrate these into their core strategies.”
Mr Houngbo called for a more holistic approach to business, focusing on fair labour practices, decent work and sustainable development.
“We need to move beyond the traditional bottom-line mentality and embrace a broader definition of success that encompasses social, environmental and economic dimensions,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of social protection programmes to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure a fair distribution of wealth.
“We need to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their social or economic background,” he said.
ILO country representative for Zimbabwe and Namibia Ms Philile Masuku highlighted the importance of the Global Coalition for Social Justice.
“We realise that social justice has come under strain from a combination of overlapping crises and the acceleration of long-term structural economic transformations are making it harder to achieve social justice and SDGs,” she said.
“Social justice makes societies and economies function better, reduces poverty, inequalities and social tensions and plays an important role in achieving shared prosperity, stability for peace and more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.”
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo said Zimbabwe, as the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) chairperson, will propagate the adoption of the Global Coalition for Justice in the region.
“This is an honour for Zimbabwe, and the Southern African Development Community, which is currently chaired by our President, and therefore we are now capable of transferring this to our colleagues in the Sadc region,” said Minister Moyo.
“Not only just in employment, the labour sector, but in all sectors that are organised in business, in administration, the chair of the Public Service Commission and other chairpersons of Public Service Commissions in the region, they can also learn from us on the issue of social justice and how we govern ourselves in the transition from the economy that we have, which is now going to be influenced by Artificial Intelligence.”
Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander said workers look forward to an improvement as governments take action.
“We have been privileged to have an opportunity to share our experiences with the director-general. We hope to see workers’ rights being upheld according to the Government’s pledge under the Tripartite Negotiation Forum, which the ILO boss has commended,” said Mrs Alexander.
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