Chronicle Editor
THE Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) has urged the Government to urgently convene a meeting of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) to discuss the rampant increases in prices of basic commodities, which has eroded workers’ salaries.
The TNF is a platform for social dialogue that brings together the Government, business, and labour to discuss key socio-economic issues and make recommendations.
TNF founding principles and values are contained in the “Declaration of Intent Towards a Social Contract,” which the parties signed in 2001. In an interview, ZFTU secretary general, Mr Kennias Shamuyarira, said it was high-time TNF met to discuss the pricing issue as this is threatening national security.
The Government recently said it is engaging the private sector over the arbitrary escalation of prices, which has put basic commodities beyond the reach of many.
There has been a significant increase in the prices of basic commodities such as maize meal, sugar, bread, and cooking oil, among others.
Two weeks ago the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe met stakeholders including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and other associations on the
matter.
The move to engage with the captains of industry was an effort to ensure that solutions came from concerned stakeholders to ensure sustainability. Another meeting was supposed to take place last week where captains of industry were supposed to come up with solutions so that they do not just come from the Government alone.
But Mr Shamuyarira said the TNF was the appropriate platform to deal with the matter, as it should rein in business, which he said was behind the price madness.
“We have appropriate platforms to deal with every issue, be it judicial or legislative,” he said.
“The TNF is the appropriate platform to deal with this issue. It needs to read the riot act to business.”
Mr Shamuyarira said the TNF should declare that prices of all basic commodities should not be increased for the next 12 months in order to preserve the purchasing power of consumers.
In the past, the Government has successfully persuaded businesses not to increase prices and labour not to demand raises in wages as part of efforts to stabilize the economy.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in June 2019 launched the TNF Act, which provides a legal framework for reigniting and fostering social dialogue, which collapsed 10 years ago due to mistrust and finger-pointing among the parties. Before the enactment of the enabling Act, the TNF had been a voluntary platform since 1998 with parties not bound by its resolutions. Since its revival in 2019, the TNF has hit turbulence with the issue of salaries being the main sticking point as workers demanded payment of salaries in United States dollars, citing escalating prices of basic commodities.
The Government and business fought in the same corner in rejecting the proposal, citing the harm wrought on the economy by Covid-19, which saw many companies scaling down operations, while others closed shop. — New Ziana
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo