Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mercy Dinha said National Employment Councils (NECs) cannot be passive observers of change in the employment sector, particularly technological, amid a shift to the use of technology in many workplaces.
Speaking at the General Secretaries and Designated Agents’ symposium for NECs in Masvingo last week, Dinha said councils should actively influence policy formulation so that emerging forms of work were recognised in law and in collective bargaining agreements.
She urged NECs to research the implications of the economy, pilot innovative agreements that cover non-standard forms of work, and advise the government on policies that bring such workers into the fold of decent work.
“If we do not adapt, we risk a situation where large segments of our workforce remain unprotected, invisible, and excluded from social dialogue,” said Dinha
Dinha highlighted that technology was one of the most powerful forces shaping the future of work, such as digitalisation, automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, among others.
“Online platforms are redefining how work is organised and delivered. Most industries are being reshaped, especially the agriculture and mining industries, where machines are reducing the need for repetitive manual tasks.
“In services, platform-based work is providing new income opportunities, but often outside traditional contracts and protections. Remote work, which grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has now become a permanent feature in most sectors”.
“These shifts have created both opportunities and vulnerabilities, and the critical question before us technocrats is: how do we ensure that new forms of work, created out of technology, are not left outside the scope of protection?”
Dinha added that NECs had to be resilient to strengthen capacity for self-regulation, develop robust compliance mechanisms, and expand social dialogue to include small enterprises, the informal sector, and digital platform workers.
“NECs must also embrace digital transformation within their own operations, which includes virtual hearings and an integrated electronic case management system, which is a digital platform that automates and tracks the entire life cycle of a case within a judicial system, from initial filing to resolution and appeal, which I believe all technocrats present here are familiar with.”
“In this regard, financial sustainability should be a priority within employment councils in exploring innovative revenue streams such as training services, consultancy, and partnerships that reduce overreliance on levies,” she said.
Dinha said resilient and forward-thinking NECs were essential for achieving our goal of an upper-middle-income society by 2030, fostering social dialogue and promoting industrial harmony.
“As we launch National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2), the next phase of our journey to 2030, is to align labour market institutions with national objectives.”
NDS 2 should prioritise inclusive growth, productivity, and equity.
“National employment councils (NECs) play a crucial role in contributing data-driven insights, aligning sectoral agreements with national priorities and strengthening the link between labour relations and economic transformation,” she said.
The deputy minister called on NECs to adopt best practices such as negotiating sector-specific minimum wages that ensure dignity, mainstream gender equality, protect youth and persons with disabilities, and advance occupational safety and health.
“NECs must ensure that workplace policies promote mental health and wellbeing, creating environments where workers thrive both personally and professionally,” she said.
NECs co-ordinating committee chairperson Nomore Nhema called on the councils to re-examine and adapt to the new operating environment.
“As NECs, we are now conducting what we call electronic case management systems,” he said.
“It is no longer about where you are, hearings can now be conducted wherever the parties concerned are, hence trying to adapt to the new technologies.”
