200 000 workers lose jobs in Zimbabwe

HARARE – More than 200 000 workers in crisis-hit Zimbabwe lost their jobs in 2006 alone as a hostile operating environment forced firms to either scale down operations or close shop altogether, according to the Labour and Economic Research Institute of Zimbabwe.

The institute, which is a research arm of the country’s largest worker representative body, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, predicted more jobs could be lost in the new year as hyperinflation and severe shortages of raw materials, machine parts, fuel, electricity and hard cash forced more of the country’s limping industries to collapse. Speaking to ZimOnline on Tuesday, institute director Godfrey Kanyenze said research had established that from 998 000 people that the government’s Central Statistical Office said were holding formal jobs in 2005 only about 700 000 remained in employment.Kanyenze said: “In 2005 the Central Statistical Office (CSO) reported that 998 000 people were in employment, while the CSO is yet to release figures for this year our research indicates that the number of people in employment now is down to about 700 000 due to problems such as Operation Murambatsvina.”Operation Murambatsvina was the codename of last year’s controversial slum clearing campaign by the government which saw police destroying shantytowns, city backyard cottages and informal business kiosks in urban areas, to leave at least 700 000 people without homes or means of livelihood.The campaign, which the United Nations said indirectly affected another 2.4 million people, primarily targeted the informal sector but also hit hard many low-income factory workers who rented accommodation in shantytowns or backyard cottages.Many workers had to give up their jobs to return to rural areas after the government destroyed their makeshift homes.Both Labour Minister Nicholas Goche and CSO director Moffat Nyoni were not immediately available for comment on Kanyenze’s figures on lost jobs.The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), which together with the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), are considered the voices of the business community declined to give job figures saying it was yet to complete its own survey on the number of jobs on the market.But ZNCC president Marah Hativagone said many firms, especially in the textiles sector, were facing severe viability problems with at least one company closing shop every month.ZimOnlineSpeaking to ZimOnline on Tuesday, institute director Godfrey Kanyenze said research had established that from 998 000 people that the government’s Central Statistical Office said were holding formal jobs in 2005 only about 700 000 remained in employment.Kanyenze said: “In 2005 the Central Statistical Office (CSO) reported that 998 000 people were in employment, while the CSO is yet to release figures for this year our research indicates that the number of people in employment now is down to about 700 000 due to problems such as Operation Murambatsvina.”Operation Murambatsvina was the codename of last year’s controversial slum clearing campaign by the government which saw police destroying shantytowns, city backyard cottages and informal business kiosks in urban areas, to leave at least 700 000 people without homes or means of livelihood.The campaign, which the United Nations said indirectly affected another 2.4 million people, primarily targeted the informal sector but also hit hard many low-income factory workers who rented accommodation in shantytowns or backyard cottages.Many workers had to give up their jobs to return to rural areas after the government destroyed their makeshift homes.Both Labour Minister Nicholas Goche and CSO director Moffat Nyoni were not immediately available for comment on Kanyenze’s figures on lost jobs.The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), which together with the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), are considered the voices of the business community declined to give job figures saying it was yet to complete its own survey on the number of jobs on the market.But ZNCC president Marah Hativagone said many firms, especially in the textiles sector, were facing severe viability problems with at least one company closing shop every month.ZimOnline