Source:NECs must influence poly formulation: Dinha.-Newsday Zimbabwe
PUBLIC Service deputy minister Mercy Dinha has 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.
Addressing the General Secretaries and Designated Agents’ symposium for NECs in Masvingo recently, Dinha said councils should actively influence policy formulation so that emerging forms of work were recognised in law and in collective bargaining agreements.
She said NECs should research the implications of the gig economy, pilot innovative agreements that cover non-standard forms of work and advise 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,” she said.
Dinha acknowledged that technology was one of the most powerful forces shaping the future of work, that is, digitalisation, automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, among others.
“Online platforms are redefining how work is organised and delivered. Most industries are being reshaped, especially 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 said 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 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 filling 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.
Source: Zimbabwe Situation
