THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has hinted at reporting the government to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for violating a ratified convention following unjustified interference into wage increase issues involving state enterprises.
The union leader was reacting to a leaked letter dated 22 April 2021 signed by the Transport and Infrastructure Development ministry’s permanent secretary, Engineer Theodius Chinyanga, ordering parastatals under his purview to cease forthwith the effecting of salary increments without following government protocol.
Chinyanga said the government had noted the practice whereby state enterprises and parastatals are concluding unsustainable collective bargaining agreements with workers.
He bemoaned the fact that these agreements are at times underpinned by quarterly indexation to parallel market exchange rate movements.
“This is notwithstanding the exchange rate stability witnessed since mid-2020 thereby inadvertently affecting the price of goods and services by state enterprises. In the circumstances you are advised not to conclude any collective bargaining agreement without seeking guidance and authority from the Minister,” Chinyanga ordered.
The circular was directed to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Road Administration, Airports Company of Zimbabwe, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Road Motor Services and the National Railways of Zimbabwe chief executive officers.
But speaking to The NewsHawks this week, ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo accused the government of violating ratified ILO conventions which prohibit any form of interference in wage issues. Zimbabwe ratified and domesticated conventions that deal with collective bargaining. The government is expected to give effect in practice to all the conventions that they ratified and domesticated.
Previously the government had to appear before the International Labour Conference (ILC) supervisory mechanism to answer to its failure to adhere to what the authorities committed to.
“I don’t think they will want to appear before the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) considering their stage fright every time they appear before the International Labour Conference,” Moyo said.
“But if they don’t refrain from interfering in the collective bargaining process they should not blame anyone if they find themselves back before the ILC to answer their transgressions.”
He said the ZCTU views the letter as direct interference with the work of the boards as well as collective bargaining processes.
Moyo said the government’s actions were in direct violation of ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining of 1949 and ILO Convention 154 of 1981 on Collective Bargaining.
“Yes, some of the parastatals have been black holes. They are poorly managed and they have been a burden to the fiscal. Some have operated outside the law without boards while some have wrong people in key areas, resulting in massive corruption.
“Salaries and packages paid to key managers are not commensurate with the operations output of some parastatals, but there is a need to put in place proper systems for checks and balances and avoid direct interference,” he added.
— STAFF WRITER.
