'Do you enjoy not having to work weekends? The 40-hour work week? Having sick days and paid time off? You can thank labour leaders for that.
“Thousands have marched, protested and participated in strikes in order to create fairer, more equitable labour laws and workplaces — and still do today,” The Free Press Journal states, explaining why May 1 was set aside to celebrate workers.
Workers’ Day is rooted in the labour movement of the late 19th Century when workers fought for better working conditions, promoting a schedule of eight hours for labour and fair wages.
Without labour, nothing prospers, as Sophocles, the ancient Greek tragedian, rightly said.
Celebrating Workers’ Day Jagran Josh says “the goods and services that employees give to us are frequently taken for granted. All of these things, including the roads we travel on, the food we eat, and the clothing we wear, are made possible by the labour of people.
“For the benefit of our communities, they are the ones that put in long hours, endure hazardous situations, and risk their health and safety. International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, is a significant day for workers across the globe”.
It is a day to commemorate the contributions of workers to the growth and development of the economy. In Zimbabwe, the day is marked with various festivities and celebrations.
But because the country is so polarised, this year’s celebrations were commemorated on partisan lines. Instead of uniting and standing together to, not only celebrate but also push for solutions to challenges that the 5% of Zimbabwe’s formally employed people are grappling with, which include low salaries, unfair treatment, gender inequality at the workplace and poor working conditions, the gatherings became political showdowns.
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How unfortunate!
The reality on the ground is that the country is grappling with a high unemployment rate, which has made the commemoration of this day insignificant for many.
Zimbabwe's unemployment rate has been on the rise for the past few years, with recent estimates putting it at around 95%.
This is a worrying trend that has resulted in many young people leaving the country in search of greener pastures and some turning to drug and substance abuse.
Zimbabwe has become a nation of hustlers.
Everyone is hustling, including the formally employed, as they struggle to put food on the table.
The lack of formal employment opportunities has made it difficult for the government to address the issue of unemployment.
As we commemorate International Workers' Day in Zimbabwe, it is crucial to reflect on the plight of the unemployed.
The day should serve as a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done in creating employment opportunities for the citizens.
The government needs to come up with policies that will encourage the growth of the formal sector and create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Furthermore, the informal sector, which employs a significant portion of the population, needs to be formalised to enable workers to access social security and other benefits.
This will go a long way in improving the quality of life for many Zimbabweans.
In conclusion, the commemoration of International Workers' Day in Zimbabwe should not be an empty celebration.
It should serve as a call to action for the government to prioritise job creation and improve the lives of the citizens.
It is only through concerted efforts that the country can overcome the challenges of unemployment and achieve sustainable economic growth.
This is more so as the country gears up for the general elections, likely to be held in August. The presidential contenders should state clearly how they plan to create jobs.
We don’t want to hear the usual political rhetoric, full of empty promises.
They really have to convince the youths and unemployed by presenting a realistic job creation action plan.
