Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
ORGANISED Labour, a workers’ representatives group, says national recovery and sustainable development can only be achieved through collective effort, shared responsibility and a genuine commitment to social justice among all social partners.
In a statement, the Organised Labour, that is part of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF), said the country’s Social Contract should move beyond being a symbolic aspiration and become a practical national compact grounded in trust, accountability, transparency and shared sacrifice.
It said all parties involved in the TNF must honour commitments made during negotiations to restore confidence in national institutions and strengthen social dialogue.
“Trust is the currency upon which effective social dialogue is sustained. Without trust, negotiations become procedural exercises devoid of meaningful outcomes,” it said.
“Workers must have confidence that their voices matter, that agreements will be implemented and that social dialogue will influence national policy direction in tangible ways.”
Organised Labour said Government and business should also have confidence that labour remained committed to constructive engagement, social stability and national progress.
It said the TNF should evolve from periodic consultations into a strong institution of democratic socio-economic governance capable of generating lasting national consensus.
“As organised labour, we acknowledge that national recovery and development require collective effort and shared responsibility. We are fully conscious that economic growth, productivity and investment are essential pillars for employment creation and national prosperity.”
However, organised labour warned that economic growth without social justice, decent work and equitable wealth distribution could not deliver sustainable peace and inclusive development.
“Accordingly, the centrepiece of our national development agenda must remain the human being — the worker, the pensioner, the unemployed youth, the informal worker and vulnerable communities whose sacrifices continue to sustain the nation under difficult conditions,” it said.
The workers’ representatives said consensus-building did not mean the absence of differences, but reflected the maturity to manage disagreements through dialogue, compromise and mutual respect in pursuit of the national interest.
“The TNF must therefore become a platform where divergent interests are harmonised into a shared developmental vision for Zimbabwe,” it said.
The organisation also reiterated the importance of labour rights, collective bargaining and democratic participation as key pillars of a credible social contract.
