Zanu-PF Labour Bill 'more cruel'

The Labour Amendment Bill, viewed as the solution to the massive job losses that followed a recent landmark Supreme Court ruling, is worse than the existing labour laws, an opposition party warned yesterday.

MDC Renewal Team, led by Tendai Biti, dismissed the proposed Bill set to be debated in Parliament today as "chaotic" and "more exploitative" than the principal Labour Act Chapter 28:01 it seeks to replace.

The gazetting of the Bill last Friday created excitement after indications that the over 20 000 workers who lost their jobs could get compensation if the law was passed.

The proposed law seeks to provide relief to employees who lost their jobs and protect those facing retrenchment in future.

But in a critique, the Renewal Team said the proposed law was bound to cause problems for both workers and employers.