By Own Correspondent

ZIMBABWE Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Young Workers Committee has called for mainstreamed Collective Bargaining negotiations which considers aspects such as gender and disability among other factors.

Officially opening a high level workshop on Collective Bargaining held in the Midlands Province capital city of Gweru, chairperson for the Young Workers Committee, Marvellous Tawomhera said genuine negotiations must cover a wide array of issues affecting workers.

“Certain issues may be of more concern to young women, youths and persons with disabilities because of their marginalisation resulting from past discrimination and social cultural norms that have created serious inequalities. At the same time both men and women need certain types of protection with regards to their differences in reproductive functions,” she said.

She said measures are therefore needed, to provide both men and women, with opportunities to share more in family responsibilities, such as paternity and parental leave, flexible working hours and childcare.

“The workplaces also need to be gender inclusive and safe for all men and women. Violence and Harassment must therefore be one of the issues for collective bargaining including honouring obligations of Zimbabwe on ratified conventions,” she said.

Tawomhera also called for vigilance in the face of rising economic hardships prompted by the ever rising cost of living bedevilling the local economy.

She underscored that while Collective bargaining is proving to be an important means of promoting equality for women and youths in employment, for it to be truly effective the concerns of women and youths must be understood and given credence.

“Comrades we are therefore here at a critical moment where we seek to strengthen our skills, knowledge and understanding on the issue of mainstreaming gender equality in collective bargaining. To make all this work, we must be effective communicators and we must embrace digitalisation. We have workers in digital spaces and our collective bargaining should incorporate them,” she added.