LEDRIZ

Opening Remarks by the ZCTU Secretary General, Tirivanhu Marimo at the FES roundtable on “Updates on the TNF, Growing Informality, Public Sector Bill and Perspectives of Strengthening Solidarity".

"Comrades, I bring you revolutionary greetings from the working people of Zimbabwe. I want to thank FES, LEDRIZ, for providing this important platform. We meet at a time when the voice of labour must rise above fear, above fatigue, and above fragmentation.

The Reality We Face

The truth is, workers in Zimbabwe are under siege.
-Wages have been eroded to dust.
-Social protection is collapsing.
-Collective bargaining has become a ritual without power.
-And informality has swallowed the very concept of decent work.
-Our country is choked by the vice of a heavy Public Debt burden,
-massive deindustrialized.
-Our country has serious levels of wealth and income inequality.
-Our country is on the verge of having its democratic constitution mutilated.
-The pensioners, those who gave their best years working for Zimbabwe now live in misery, surviving on pensions too small to afford basic needs
-We live in a country where the people who produce wealth cannot afford
the bread they bake; the teacher cannot feed the child she teaches; and
the nurse who saves lives cannot pay for her own medicine.

This is not normal, and it cannot be accepted.

A Call for United Action

This is why we say today: Labour must rise — and rise united. Whether you
are from ZCTU, ZFTU, ZCPSTU, or ZCIEA — the struggle is one.

We may wear different jackets, but the pain of poverty and exploitation is
the same.

Our divisions only serve those who benefit from a weakened working class.
We must reclaim the spirit of unity that once made labour the heartbeat of
this nation. Because when workers speak with one voice, governments listen,
employers tremble, and society begins to shift.

Forums like this one are not talk shows — they are strategy sessions.
We are here to sharpen our ideas, to rebuild solidarity, and to prepare for action.

If the TNF is to mean anything, it must be a platform of equality, not a rubber stamp for anti-worker policies.

If the Public Service Bill is to pass, it must protect—not silence—the voice of
public servants.

And if the informal economy is to grow, it must do so with rights, with dignity, and with recognition.

Conclusion

Comrades, this is our moment to rebuild the labour movement — not in
words, but in unity and action.

Let us leave this room not as separate federations, but as one labour family
— committed to fight poverty, defend rights, and demand justice for every
worker in Zimbabwe.

It is workers who mobilized against ESAP in the late 90s. It is the workers that formed the National Constitutional Assembly
demanding a people-driven constitution 1997. It is the workers that formed the people's popular party in 1999 .The worker’s voice must never be silenced.
The worker’s dignity must never be compromised.
And our solidarity must never die.

Aluta continua — the struggle continues!

I think you".

🎯 Upcoming Event: NEGOTIATING SKILLS 2025
📍 Venue: Kadoma Ranch Hotel
📅 Dates: 23–26 July 2025
🧾 Theme: Negotiating Resilient Collective Bargaining Agreements

Join EMCOZ for a high-impact workshop that will strengthen your negotiation capacity and equip you with tools to craft strong and sustainable collective bargaining agreements.

🎤 Featured Speakers Include: LEDRIZ Founding Director Dr. G. Kanyenze and LEDRIZ Senior Economist Dr. P. Chitambara.

We all have the right to a safe, healthy, and decent job.

At the International Labour Organization we are committed to driving a human-centered future of work through:

✅ Employment creation
✅ Social dialogue
✅ Rights at work
✅ Social protection

👉 Visit the ILO website to learn more: ilo.org

A just transition means:
🔸 Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and social protections for all workers in the mining sector.
🔸 Prioritizing the environmental sustainability of mining practices to protect future generations.
🔸 Empowering mining communities with economic opportunities and safeguarding their rights.
🔸 Designing policies that promote gender equality and reduce disparities in the workforce.

...a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of Zimbabwe's economic (and political!!) history, this book is also an outline for the democratic developmental state crucial for its resurrection - and implicitly, for its ruling class's reconstruction. - Professor David Mooore

https://zoom.us/j/95689346707?pwd=Q1pvV082b2M5UUJoVDFONEl3a2lDQT09

join us now on zoom and engage

https://youtu.be/PTLcFFHul08

Fostering transparency and accountability for the realization of socio-economic rights in Zimbabwe Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides a justiciable Declaration of Rights (commonly known as the Bill of Rights). However, in practice, the enjo...

Check out the article below by our Senior Researcher

Economy on right track but… - The Zimbabwe Independent THE Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube presented the Mid-term Budget Review last week on Thursday. The review comes at a time when the country is in the grip of a Covid-19 third wave.