ZIMBABWEAN UNIONS URGE GOVT TO RESUSCITATE TRIPARTITE NEGOTIATING FORUM
HARARE, Aug 20 (NNN-NEW ZIANA) — The Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) has urged the government to resuscitate the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) for stakeholders to discuss remedies to escalations in prices of basic commodities and transport costs, which are impacting negatively on the welfare of workers.
ZFTU President Alfred Makwarimba said here Tuesday the government should not allow the ongoing inter-party talks to form a government of national unity to paralyse other facets of the economy since the country had to keep moving. “The inter-party talks should not be allowed to stall other economic activities,” he said.
Makwarimba said since most government business was going on while efforts to find a political settlement in the country were underway, the government should ensure that all wheels of the economy were turning to avoid dislocation.
He said forums such as the TNF should not be suspended as they provided an opportunity for stakeholders to brainstorm economic challenges facing the country and formulate remedial strategies. The TNF was suspended towards the March harmonized elections as some of the participants got actively involved in building their political careers.
The instability that followed the indeterminate elections stalled most government programmes as politics had taken precedence over other national issues.
The Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, who is also chairperson of the TNF, is a member of the Zanu PF party’s team of negotiators in the inter-party talks, where he is partnering the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
Activity in most sectors of the economy has slowed down as uncertainty surrounds the outcome of the inter-party talks to form a government of national unity.
Meanwhile, Makwarimba urged the government to intervene and bring an end to the unjustified increases in fares that commuter transport operators are charging. He said most workers were failing to cope with the weekly increases that the operators were effecting and were failing to go to work.
The Zimbabwe government has however said it is aware of the exorbitant fares that commuter omnibus operators are charging and will soon be taking appropriate measures to address the situation.
Commuter omnibus operators in Harare have recently been hiking fares twice every week citing high costs fuel. A single trip to most areas which cost 30 billion ZWD last month now costs 700 billion ZWD (old currency).
Most people are opting to board open pickup trucks and lorries which are cheaper although they expose them to the vagaries of the weather. — NNN-NEW ZIANA
