BY STAFF REPORTER

Young workers in the formal and informal economies have pledged to collaborate on initiatives to confront challenges posed by the effects of transformations in the world of work that are threatening their prospects in the future of work.

The young workers, organised under the banners of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economies Association (ZCIEA) resolved to collaborate on efforts to organise around at a workshop held yesterday.

The workshop was convened to share and exchange organising experiences between ZCTU and ZCIEA young workers and t find possible areas for collaborations.

Officially opening the workshop, ZCTU Secretary General, Japhet Moyo said the future of work was bleak for young workers hence the need for serious activities around advocating for favourable outcomes by young workers through campaigns.

“Our campaigns should be cross cutting to both formal and informal workers. There are issues that are the same for formal and informal workers and you should be able to discuss such issues and collaborate as young workers. Young people are taking over when the country is faced with great economic and political challenges. Society seems not to adequately understand young people and their needs but through organising and awareness campaigns that can change,” he said.

The participants were sensitised of the backgrounds, roles, responsibilities and organising initiatives of the two organisations.  

The ZCTU national organiser, Michael Kandukutu, commended the young workers for realising that their challenges were common and for further resolving to confront them as a collective.

“My view is that young workers in the formal and informal sector of our economy represented by the two organisations represented proved that workers are one regardless of the economic sector that they are coming from. In today's (yesterday) workshop we were able to see worker collectivism and unity being displayed. The young workers also noted that their challenges were the same, their aspirations were the same and their vision for a brighter and better future was the same,” he said.

The young workers will henceforth collaborate on three broad areas. They will collaborate in the campaign for the ratification of the ILO Convention 190 against violence and harassment in the world of work, in a campaign on the demand for United States Dollars salaries and capacity development workshops.