The Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU) has vowed to push for amendments to the Public Service Act following a recent High Court decision to dismiss their application, along with other unions, to have collective bargaining enforced as the legitimate negotiating process between civil servants and their employer, the government.
The FOZEU and the other unions had sought to challenge the legality of the government’s use of the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) as the platform for wage negotiations, arguing that it undermines the civil servants’ constitutional right to collective bargaining.
They sought a declaratory order based on section 85(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees this right.
In the ruling, High Court Judge Justice Lucy Mungwari dismissed the application, saying the applicants needed to provide additional arguments if they wished for the court to consider their case.