Nelson Chamisa, former leader of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), has said a nation’s dignity lies in the dignity of its working people, who serve as its heroes.
Despite not revealing his next political steps since leaving the CCC in January this year, Chamisa assured Zimbabwean workers that change is imminent.
In a statement commemorating the 2024 Workers’ Day on this Wednesday, May 1st, Chamisa highlighted the harsh reality: over 80% of the working population in Zimbabwe remains unemployed. He said:
Strikingly, 3.5 million youths are unemployed while 7.9 million people live in extreme poverty. The majority live below the poverty datum line of US$575, while average wages at US$275 fall short of meeting basic needs.
Punitive tax thresholds, starting at US$100, leave little to support families, where a basket of basic goods is six times higher than the minimum wage.
Every worker deserves to thrive in an inclusive Zimbabwe where everyone has access to fair and dignified employment opportunities and a balanced work environment.
Chamisa asserted that if elected, his government will ensure that the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) will be the prime policy formulation platform and that no public policy will be implemented without passing through the TNF.
The TNF is a social dialogue platform that was established to facilitate consultation, cooperation, and negotiation on social and economic issues among three key partners: Government, organised business, and organised labour. Said Chamisa:
We will immediately grant public sector workers the right to collective bargaining by ratifying and domesticating ILO Convention 151.
We will re-establish a living minimum wage through social dialogue. We will allow workers to demonstrate and demand their rights.
The idea of an inclusive Zimbabwe free from poverty, corruption and oppression is the aspiration of all the citizens of Zimbabwe.
In a Zimbabwe free from poverty, corruption and oppression, the fruits of labour shall translate into economic progress for all.
Every family shall have the chance to prosper, and the benefits of hard work shall enrich the entire nation.
In a corruption-free Zimbabwe, the fruits of labour will fuel economic progress and boost economic prosperity, benefiting all families.
Workers deserve the freedom to freely choose a government that serves them, making the resolution of the August 2023 disputed elections a crucial step towards recognizing workers’ rights.
Chamisa said the current ZANU PF-led government is unelected, therefore illegitimate and incapable of responding effectively to workers’ demands.
He said there is a need to collectively resolve the “broken politics, disputed elections and contested presidential office.”
