THEME: Fulfilling the mine workers aspirations focusing on Safety,Health, Growth and Development (SHEGD)
Dear Colleagues, International Trade Union Organisations, All Organised Labour Centres in Zimbabwe, Relevant Government Ministries, Esteemed workers in the mining industry.
On behalf of ZDAMWU, allow me to salute and pay tribute to all workers across the globe particularly Mineworkers in marking the occasion of this year’s May Day celebrations.
As the General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union, let me join you in expressing my solidarity with all working people of the world who continue to be resilient as they toil day and night in their different occupations building their respective economies through blood and sweat.
Colleagues, this year we are celebrating May Day, which is a day that was set aside to commemorate the trials and tribulations that workers face in discharging their duties. However this year we celebrate the day with a difference after the whole world was completely shut down because of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic which has devastated all nations big and small in equal measure.
My special gratitude goes to the health care givers, doctors, nurses, security personnel and representatives of all medical institutions including cooperating partners for doing tremendous work in combating the Covid -19 pandemic.
I know and understand that we are all feeling very uncomfortable in our lives because of the economic challenges being caused by corona virus in our lives and is making it difficult for ordinary workers to make ends meet in their endeavour to sustain their families . As trade unionists we are always with the oppressed people in our fight for the decent work agenda and the attainment of sustainable livelihoods.
It is unfortunate that these difficulties have been compounded by the impact of the global pandemic which has of today taken millions lives across all continents threatening livelihoods and jobs for most workers throughout the world, mineworkers included.
In our Mining Industry, the impact of the Corona pandemic will be devastating in the small scale mining ventures especially those in the Chrome mining and other big mines who were already struggling to operate long before this health disaster stuck us.
As the country went on lockdown starting on 28 March 2020, the mining industry was given a reprieve to continue operating upon meeting some required conditions. On the extension of the lockdown all mines in Zimbabwe were again given a reprieve to scale up operations, in other words, there were allowed to operate on full capacity as long as they adhere to the set down conditions set by the Ministry of Health in line with the World Health Organisation recommendations.
It is however sad to note that some mines are not going to open especially those owned by the Chinese who are involved in Chrome mining in the Great Dyke belt because these were never genuine investors in the first place but looters to be precise. We also have cases where small scale miners, artisanal miners who in the past were failing to provide basic PPE have failed to open their operations because they do not have the capacity to supply their workers with sanitizers, face masks and other personal hygiene requirements as required by the law. They will rather remain closed than to risk lives of thousands of their families across the country.
Despite these challenges, May Day is not a day to be ignored by workers because of its historical importance where workers of the world come together to retrospect, introspect and prospect their journey in the past year and ponder into the future.
As ZDAMWU, May Day commemorations has been always recognised with celebrations done on rotational basis in our provinces and this year the union was set to celebrate this important day in our calendar in the Midlands Province which is known as the Province of Progress and this was going to blend well with our Theme: Fulfilling Mine Workers Aspirations focusing on Safety, Health, Growth and Development.
However, as we mark May Day today, it is an opportunity for collective reflection on the importance of this Day on the lives of workers across the world mineworkers in Zimbabwe included.
We are also celebrating this important day just weeks after celebrating 40 years of our independence as a nation. This is not a short period. It is a milestone achievement as the old age say “Life begins at 40” and indeed we have matured as a nation and I want to take this honour and privilege to wish you a happy 40 years as an independent people.
Over these last 40 years, our country has made remarkable strides in making sure our labour laws address the injustices suffered under the brutal and dehumanising colonial rule.
The Labour Act Chapter 28.01 which was enacted soon after our country’s independence brought radical transformation in the industries and instilled confidence to the workers of Zimbabwe across all sectors as they started to enjoy better working conditions challenges abound.
There was significant community development and more workers started owning and building houses while others started owning small businesses in communities. Pensioners retired in dignity (mudyandigere) while workers could own livestock and farming equipment as well as producing enough food for their families in their communal lands.
Working in the mining industry was an achievement to most Zimbabweans and some districts become small towns, the healthcare system in mines was second to none and there was proper houses constructed to accommodate mineworkers.
It is also a tragic truth that all these achievements have vanished across all mining districts in Zimbabwe which have put the lives and condition of mineworkers and their communities in reverse gear.
Mining industry today faces multiple challenges chief among them are-
1. Misrepresentation – unions that come before us had become employers themselves with no meaningful representation and are only interested in collecting subscriptions.
2. Poor safety and health working environments – most mines are no longer safe to mine due lack of investment in new methods of mining, dilapidated mining equipment and massive illegal activities which compromise workers’ safety and health at the workplace.
3. Poor salaries – workers now earn slave wages that are against the returns generated by employers.
4. Lack of social protection – pensions have been reduced to nothing because of several inflationary pressures which eroded their value and this is not stimulating workers to retire.
5. Poor accommodation and health facilities –emerging cities are now ghost towns e.g. Zishavane, Mhangura, Hwange, Redcliff just but to mention a few. Houses that were building during the colonial era are now very dangerous to the occupancy, ablutions facilities are no longer usable but bush toilets, clean and safe water is a pipe line dream.
6. Corruption – It is unfortunate that criminals and looters are now operating in the industry with no meaningful investment or development taking place , some mining concessions are in the hands of a few holding them for speculative purposes. Criminal groups using political names, double allocation of concessions by ministry of mines officials causing disputes, under declaring of minerals mines, smuggling out of the country of minerals are the order of the day.
7. No Job creation and security – this is caused by lack of genuine investors in the country, lack of beneficiation and value addition to minerals
8. Poor Policies – Our industrial laws level are now outdated especially the CBA for the Mining industry which has outlived its usefulness. The national policies are inconsistent and have become anti workers.
In order to see the change in the livelihood of mine workers we need to be able to address the basis of the key GRIEVANCES that were behind the formation of this trade union by:
1. Addressing the misrepresentation by storing trust of workers through proper representing, consulting, engaging them. The union should be visible at all levels and restore workers’ rights that seem to be lost.
2. Addressing the safety and health issues to ensure workers are working on safe environments and that they are heath all the time.
3. Addressing the salary and wages issues to ensure mine workers’ salaries are commensurate to the value of minerals mined as well as match regional salary scales
4. Addressing the accommodation and social protection issues by creating a housing trust that shall role out rural and urban homes to current and retiring workers abandoning the colonial compound set up that is affecting retiring workers, we see being evicted from houses after serving for many years but without any accommodation as well as making sure the pension fund invest in proper investment that protects value of servings.
5. Addressing corruption by exposing ,naming and denouncing all forms of corruption in the industry
6. Addressing job creation and protection through pushing for formalization of artisanal small scale miners ,value addition and beneficiation of minerals as well as making sure all investors commit to develop communities where they intent to mine.
7. Addressing Policy issues through pushing for the amendment of the CBA ,Mines and Minerals Act so as to recognize workers as stake holders in the extraction of mineral resources in Zimbabwe
As I am addressing you today it is sad to not that Mineworkers have been abandoned for two long and ZDAMWU has been raising many issues affecting workers without any favourable response from the authorities and we feel it is now time to rise up and take action against all forms of injustices for workers in the mining industry.
One of the most disturbing issue affecting workers in the mine industry is the emergence of splinter unions which have caused divisions amongst workers and this threaten industrial harmony. This is a far cry from what existed soon after independence where workers were more united under one union. It is regrettable that some of these splits are driven by personal greedy and corruption.
What is now needed is a radical transformation on how unions conduct their business by starting to put in motion a roadmap and a plan of action for building one strong trade union that mine workers has always envisaged.
The salaries and wages issue is the most critical grievance that must also be tackled radically. It is a fact that employers in the Mining Industry retain part of their sales in foreign currency and the balance at interbank rate. ZDAMWU must make sure that workers’ salaries are also pegged according to what employers are retaining in order to motivate workers, promote productivity and promote industrial harmony in the mine sector.
Going forward, while independence taught us of sovereignty our approach as a Trade Union of a key sector require a robust paradigm shift from how unions are perceived .We must be clear that mine workers have a voice and are able to define their destiny as well as influencing how mining should be conducted at all times in Zimbabwe.
Against this backdrop, when we look back on what has been happening during the last 2 years, the milestone we rightly commemorate today is a mixed bag. We had made some strides after independence but we failed to improve them in a big way as a result of divisions amongst unions themselves and to a larger extend the intransigence by employers.
However, a new approach to resolving our grievances is not only possible but necessary if we speak with one voice which is an achievable feat which requires the participation of every stakeholder including government and employers who are paying workers slave wages and subjecting them to odious working conditions.
As we move towards a new trajectory where the government is talking about achieving an upper middle class by 2030, our union should also think outside the box and devise strategies aimed at transforming itself into a formidable force guided by its strategic plan document of 2019.
Top among our prioritises are-
– Membership recruitment
– grievance handling and dispute resolution
– education and training
– Networking and information and communications
– Establishing income generating projects for members working and retired
– Establishing wellness funds ,loan schemes ,unemployment benefit funds, housing trust ,funeral and medical schemes
These prioritises are categorised as short, medium and long term according to their order of importance and feasibility.
As a union, we have discovered that 60 percent of workers in the mining industry are not unionised because of various reasons but as alluded earlier, most workers have lost faith in unions because of the misdeeds by predecessor unions which acted like agents for employers than the vanguards of workplace justice against unfair labour practices ZDAMWU must be able to attract such workers to become members.
We have set a target to achieve 50 percent membership by 2025 and 80 percent by 2030. This will be achieved through the full participation of our union structures- the branch and national committees working together with our activists and shop stewards at plant level to recruit new members.
Education and Training remains one of our areas of focus as one of our short and medium term objectives. This will see the union rolling up massive education programmes starting with the union’s leadership and then moving on to the rank and file members of the union. These programmes will ensure that we develop and equip our members with basic trade union knowledge thereby increasing their knowledge on worker rights and basic labour laws.
My dear Cdes, the union is making frantic efforts to ensure that it become part of the progressive labour movements in the world by establishing networks with alike local, regional and global trade union organisations as a way of opening widows of cooperation that help to develop our union into a formidable force in Zimbabwe and beyond through resource mobilisation.
Currently the union is seized with disposing several disputes which arose in the industry prior to the lockdown. It is our hope that all the backlog of cases reported to the union and registered with NEC be disposed of in a reasonable space of time to ensure that those affected do not suffer from fatigue from delayed justice.
Communication and timeous dissemination of information is going to be our hallmark going forward as we thrive to ensure that our members and stakeholders are well acquainted with all developments happening in the union through our information desk. This will also help increase our visibility and also build a strong brand through image building.
As we celebrate May Day today in our homes let us also brainstorm on how we can assist in growing our union, ZDAMWU Union yeVanhu/IUnion yaBantu to become a force that will move mountains and make a difference in the lives of the down trodden workers in the mining industry.
Once again, I want to reiterate that Covid-19 is a reality and therefore everyone should “Stay at Home to save lives”. Those sectors who were given exemption to operate during this period should ensure the observance of safety precautions as recommended by WHO.
In conclusion, I wish you a peaceful May Day Celebrations as we all look up to the Almighty God to salvage our situation in the face of the current situation which has devastated nations throughout the world but we know that through His grace we will never walk ALONE.
Viva ZDAMWU Viva, Viva Union yeVanhu.
Viva Workers Solidarity Viva
I thank you.
J.CHINEMA (0772976261/0717803553)
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