Tripartite Negotiating Forum Meeting Restarts After Deadlock
The Tripartite Negotiating Forum meets on Monday (today) and the discussions will be centred on workers’ salaries and wages after the parties failed to reach an agreement in February.
The TNF brings together the government, labour and business.
TNF chairperson and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima confirmed that the meeting resumes today. He said;
Yes, we are meeting tomorrow [today]. I will communicate to the TNF the views of Cabinet about the issue that we had referred to it. After that, I think we will instruct the setting up of a technical committee to pursue the issue further. Thereafter we will have to meet again, probably after two weeks.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general, Japhet Moyo, said workers were looking forward to hearing what the government has resolved.
Meanwhile, a business representative, Israel Murefu, rejected claims that business was stalling progress. He said parties should avoid finger-pointing:
The economy has problems and it is incumbent upon the partners to find possible solutions to arrest the situation rather than play the blame game. The focus must be on finding solutions and a way forward as opposed to pointing figures. After finger-pointing, the partners still need to engage and find each other.
The TNF held two meetings last month seeking solutions to the erosion of wages and salaries bu galloping inflation.
While the Government and labour agreed that there should be a minimum wage, business rejected the proposal.
