Opinion / Columnist
Will 'vendorisation' be Mugabe's lasting legacy?
01 Aug 2015 at 18:11hrs | Views
Does Robert Mugabe accept that by allowing over 9,000 workers to lose their jobs since the 17 July Supreme Court ruling, this 'vendorisation' of Zimbabwe will be his lasting legacy?
I couldn't believe it when I read that industry and commerce, Mike Bimha had justified the mass job losses as good for the industry (New Zimbabwe, 31 July 2015), in a country with an estimated 90 per cent unemployment rate.
Bimha reportedly said local companies had been saddled with 'excess workforce' before a recent controversial Supreme Court ruling gave employers leeway to fire workers without the costs associated with retrenchment packages. Really?
Understandably, in the public service, measures to reduce the current unsustainable 80 per cent wage bill make some sense but should be done in a humane manner recognising the social costs of retrenchment in a country with a comatose economy.
Why did Bimha not let the private employer bodies justify their mass retrenchments than him becoming their free advocate at taxpayer's expense saying that companies have been dipping into operating budgets to pay retrenchment packages.
How does he know that when their accounts are not public? Also, how can we believe what companies say is the truth and only the truth?
It is beyond belief that Bimha who is supposed to be a government minister went out of his way to please employers to the extent of declaring that: "It is expensive for companies to retrench and most industries were eating into their capital reserves hence the failure of companies to rise."
Again how does he know that? Even then they took the risk and that's what risk taking is all about, but why should a government minister come to their rescue?
Even more incredible was Bimha's scorched earth wish when he said: "My hope is that we will not have an amended labour law which will worsen things."
Mike, as we used to call each other on first name terms as leaders of the Institute of Personnel Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ), has ruled out workers' rights completely which we used to uphold and that's a big disappointment for me.
Surely, Bimha should resign and be with his employer' friends fulltime and not pretend to be a minister when his utterances don't reflect that.
So, will this 'vendorisation' of Zimbabwe's workers be Mugabe's lasting legacy?
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Clifford can be contacted at mashiric@lsbu.ac.uk or zimana;ysis2009@gmail.com
I couldn't believe it when I read that industry and commerce, Mike Bimha had justified the mass job losses as good for the industry (New Zimbabwe, 31 July 2015), in a country with an estimated 90 per cent unemployment rate.
Bimha reportedly said local companies had been saddled with 'excess workforce' before a recent controversial Supreme Court ruling gave employers leeway to fire workers without the costs associated with retrenchment packages. Really?
Understandably, in the public service, measures to reduce the current unsustainable 80 per cent wage bill make some sense but should be done in a humane manner recognising the social costs of retrenchment in a country with a comatose economy.
Why did Bimha not let the private employer bodies justify their mass retrenchments than him becoming their free advocate at taxpayer's expense saying that companies have been dipping into operating budgets to pay retrenchment packages.
How does he know that when their accounts are not public? Also, how can we believe what companies say is the truth and only the truth?
It is beyond belief that Bimha who is supposed to be a government minister went out of his way to please employers to the extent of declaring that: "It is expensive for companies to retrench and most industries were eating into their capital reserves hence the failure of companies to rise."
Again how does he know that? Even then they took the risk and that's what risk taking is all about, but why should a government minister come to their rescue?
Even more incredible was Bimha's scorched earth wish when he said: "My hope is that we will not have an amended labour law which will worsen things."
Mike, as we used to call each other on first name terms as leaders of the Institute of Personnel Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ), has ruled out workers' rights completely which we used to uphold and that's a big disappointment for me.
Surely, Bimha should resign and be with his employer' friends fulltime and not pretend to be a minister when his utterances don't reflect that.
So, will this 'vendorisation' of Zimbabwe's workers be Mugabe's lasting legacy?
-------
Clifford can be contacted at mashiric@lsbu.ac.uk or zimana;ysis2009@gmail.com
Source - Clifford Chitupa Mashiri
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