Strengthening Zimbabwe’s Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) System under Turbulent Business Times

Abstract

The article sought to assess the mechanisms that can be adopted to address the challenges facing the social dialogue forum in a turbulent business environment in Zimbabwe‘s public sector organisations. The Tripartite Negotiation Forum (TNF) in Zimbabwe has been affected by the dynamic and volatile changes in the business context that can be understood as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). Consequently, the social dialogue platform seems not fair to all the players as it weighs heavily against organised labour and organised employers. The study's main research question was: What can be done to strengthen the TNF in Zimbabwe under the turbulent business context? The article used a critical documentary review to develop contextually attuned mechanisms that can be put in place to ensure the sustainability of the TNF under turbulent business contexts through policy prescriptions. A desktop review of the reports from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) Report, and the interview of the TNF social partners was done to collect data. The study found that the socio-economic and political environment has been harsh on the country‘s TNF. This has affected the effectiveness of the social partners in arriving at a mutually acceptable position that helps the social partners to cope in these turbulent business times. Further, the government seems to be the main factor in determining the outcomes of the social dialogue platforms. However, this seriously works against public service workers. Inflation has also negatively undermined the effectiveness of the TNF despite the presence of legal and institutional mechanisms to protect social dialogue. The study, therefore, recommends the creation of an independent commission to facilitate and moderate social dialogue. There is need for political will and tolerance by the political leaders to allow other actors like trade unions and employers‘ representatives to participate effectively in the TNF and the need for the increment of the budget for the TNF, in line with the realities of inflation in the economy.