Zim begins key wage talks

HARARE – Zimbabwe labour and business leaders began talks with the government on Thursday on a wage and price freeze, but union leaders doubted a deal would emerge to rescue the country from economic collapse.

President Robert Mugabe’s government hopes a freeze agreement could help arrest galloping inflation, the highest in the world at almost 1 600 per cent. But labour leaders have said they doubt the government is yet willing to give into demands that political reforms be included in any economic recovery package.The country’s largest labour body, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which has called for a two-day strike in April, took part in the meeting.Labour Minister Nicholas Goche told the meeting the government was eager to negotiate and would honour any agreement coming out of the talks, including an as-yet unimplemented pact hammered out in 2001 – a key union demand.”This will …provide a conducive environment for the discussion and conclusion of a social contract,” Goche said.The 2001 agreement, which Mugabe’s government did not sign, calls for reforms to address Zimbabwe’s “political risk factor” following sometimes violent seizures of white-owned farms under a land redistribution drive.The agreement asked the government to shore up respect for property rights and the rule of law to help attract much needed trade and investment.ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo said he doubted Mugabe’s government was now committed to reform and dialogue.Nampa-ReutersBut labour leaders have said they doubt the government is yet willing to give into demands that political reforms be included in any economic recovery package.The country’s largest labour body, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which has called for a two-day strike in April, took part in the meeting.Labour Minister Nicholas Goche told the meeting the government was eager to negotiate and would honour any agreement coming out of the talks, including an as-yet unimplemented pact hammered out in 2001 – a key union demand.”This will …provide a conducive environment for the discussion and conclusion of a social contract,” Goche said.The 2001 agreement, which Mugabe’s government did not sign, calls for reforms to address Zimbabwe’s “political risk factor” following sometimes violent seizures of white-owned farms under a land redistribution drive.The agreement asked the government to shore up respect for property rights and the rule of law to help attract much needed trade and investment.ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo said he doubted Mugabe’s government was now committed to reform and dialogue.Nampa-Reuters