As the world commemorate International Workers’ Day, a call to action has been made to prioritise the welfare and safety of mine workers amid growing concerns about the deplorable working conditions many are forced to endure.
Mr Justice Chinhema, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU), has expressed deep concern over the working conditions of mine workers, which he described as “modern slavery.”
ZDAMWU represents about 15 000 mine workers, a significant portion of the sector’s formal workforce of 52 000 people.
The sector accounts for Zimbabwe’s 13 percent of the gross domestic product and generate roughly 80 percent of the country’s exports.
Mr Chinhema”s call comes amid growing concerns, not only about working conditions, but also as Zimbabwe and much of southern Africa battle the effects of climate change that threaten lives and livelihoods.
The country faced a serious drought caused by El Niño, and the general well-being of mine workers had not been spared.
“Compatriots, 2024 workers day has come at a moment when mine workers are fighting tooth and nail to reclaim their rights, for a living wage and protection against excessive exploitation,” said Mr Chinhema.
“We are at a critical stage of history where we are not retreating in confronting the mistreatment of workers and believe May Day should not only be an occasion for gatherings, but it should be a day to salute the mine workers for their continued sustenance of the economy and expression of a deep appreciation to them and those who died or have been injured at the work place in mines across the country.
“Mine workers are an important stakeholder in the extraction of mineral resources worldwide, they are the vital cog that drive any economy and Zimbabwe has been one good example.
“This therefore means mine workers welfare should always be a priority. The Government and employers in the sector need to lend an ear to the concerns of the mine workers as much as possible to see that they are addressed not the current situation where workers have been turned into slaves by employers, mine workers have nothing to celebrate on this May Day as they are subjected to poor working conditions and ‘slave wages’ which have thrown them into abject poverty despite being a vital cog in our economy.”
Mr Chinhema noted that some large mines were even failing to pay salaries when due, even when production was stable.
In addition, he said many workers were forced to work long hours in dangerous environments with no guarantee of a permanent job or fair pay. ZDAMWU has called for an end to these exploitative practices and a living wage that reflects the value of the minerals being mined.
The union also wanted to see the National Employment Council (NEC) reformed to better serve the needs of mine workers, and existing safety and health laws enforced.
The union is particularly focused on protecting the rights of female mine workers.
It has since implemented a Gender and Sexual Harassment policy to address these issues in the workplace and communities. Additionally, it is advocating for the ratification of ILO C190, which protects workers from violence and harassment.
“As ZDAMWU we would like to reiterate that mine workers welfare is the reason of our existence.
“As a union we shall be pushing for the implementation of ILO C176 in Zimbabwe and other existing safety and health laws. We need to continue pushing for the criminalisation of deliberate cause of accidents particularly where it is proved that the employer has failed to comply with the safety rules and regulations,” he said.
He said the union was cognisant of the challenges being faced by female mine workers in the country.
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“As a union, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to protect the rights of female mine workers. The union is committed to the emancipation of women both at the world of work and outside.
“We have recognised the challenges women face in general and have put measures and programs in place to address such anomalies and emancipation of women workers in particular,” he said.
Campaigns would be rolled at mine level, communities as well as pushing through works council for work place policy on Sexual Harassment, Gender Based Violence in the world of work.
As we push this policy to be adopted across all mines, we will continue to extensively campaign for the ratification of ILO C190 by the government of Zimbabwe through parliament.
Engagement of female parliamentarians has also begun.
Mr Chinhema said ZDAMWU was committed to organising all mines across the country and becoming a stronger voice for mine workers.
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