An analysis of the post-independence development of the private sector employees’ right to freedom of association in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The article deals with the development of the right to freedom of association for private sector employees since Zimbabwe gained its independence from Britain in 1980. Under the colonial rule, labour laws were oppressive and largely meant to secure cheap labour from the nationals. This article looks at the Zimbabwean Constitution of 1980 and its impact on the right to freedom of association for private sector employees in Zimbabwe. It further discusses important pieces of legislation like the Employment Act (1980) and the Minimum Wages Act (1980) which had a bearing on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of association by private sector employees. The climax of labour law reform after independence came with the enactment of the Labour Relations Act (1985). This Act was a comprehensive piece of legislation, which provided for the right of private sector employees to freedom of association and its components, which included the right to organise, to bargain collectively and to strike. The Labour Relations Act was amended several times. Notably, each amendment had a bearing on the right of employees to freedom of association. The year 2013 was significant in the development of the employees’ right to freedom of association in Zimbabwe because a new constitution replaced the Zimbabwean Constitution of 1980 and entrenched the right of employees to freedom of association.