“How I would like to see everyone with a decent job! It is essential for human dignity.” -Pope Francis
Harare, Zimbabwe – The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) joins the rest of the nation and the world at large in observing International Workers Day 2023. It is a day that is meant to celebrate and showcase the work that has been done around improving the welfare of workers through adopting the best practices and standards across all sectors of the economy. We stand in solidarity with other labour movements and social groups in recognizing and thanking all the workers who, day by day, do their bit to make the world a better place. This occasion also provides an opportunity to make a collective reflection on our journey towards the realisation of the principles of equity, inclusion, and equality in relation to labour standards. Workers are the driving force through which our nation and the world move from one level of development to another. As such, we need to spare some time to celebrate the role of workers. The association takes this opportunity to salute our labour force in Zimbabwe, across sectors, for their continued dedication despite having to deal with poor working conditions, high inflation rates, income inequality, low salaries, and other macroeconomic challenges ailing the welfare of workers. Thus, the sacrifice and commitment of workers should be forever cherished.
On this commemoration of International Workers Day, we honour all the NGO employees who, with their effort and dedication, make the growth of our communities possible. Your tremendous effort and contribution to community development are highly recognised especially in light of the complexities and difficult conditions that you are sometimes subjected to. We are cognisant of the numerous challenges that NGO workers sometimes face such as working without salaries, security threats to human rights defenders, and operations in risky areas. We appreciate your firmness and resilience in supporting community work through charity activities, humanitarian assistance, and human rights protection. The service you provided exceeded all expectations. Thus, your passion, dedication, and commitment are imperative for the inclusive sustainable development of our country in the spirit of placing communities and affected people at the centre of development.
As we celebrate workers today, the current situation in our country reminds us of how far we have to go insofar as catering to the labour force. We applaud the government which recently signed the Decent Work country program (2022-2024) that aims to improve both the quality and quantity of employment, eradicate violence, and harassment at workplaces, and improve working conditions in the informal and rural economies among others. However, we are still faced with a high unemployment rate, especially among youths and women, unequal labour standards across several sectors, and poor social and labour protection with weakened labour unions among others. The implementation of this program should be expedited in view to address labour challenges the country is facing especially in the public sector.
The association, therefore, urges the government to work towards the successful implementation of the Decent Work program as a means to support the operating environment of the informal sector which currently holds most of the workers in our nation. Additionally, the economy is in dire need of an economic incentive that will be supported by a zero-tolerance of corruption, nepotism, and poor corporate governance. If left unrelieved the situation may further see deepening of current poverty and inequalities.
We believe the country has enough policies that when effectively implemented will result in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 which speaks to the protection of labour rights and eradication of modern slavery and child labour. We must ensure that financial progress creates decent and fulfilling jobs for all regardless of social or economic status. Today workers are in a huge predicament. They find themselves conflicted between celebrating or bemoaning the poor state of things.
NANGO is the coordinating body of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe. It is a non-partisan, non-profit making and non-denominational official coordinating body of NGOs in Zimbabwe. It is mandated by its membership to coordinate the activities of NGOs, represent the NGO sector, and strengthen the voice of NGOs in Zimbabwe.
