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109th session International Labour Conference: Committee on Application of Standards: Zimbabwe - Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. C105)

09.06.2021
Geneva

Thank you, Chair.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia*[1], Montenegro* and Albania*, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

  1. The EU and its Member States are committed to the promotion, protection, respect and fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights and the abolition of forced and compulsory labour.
  2. We support the indispensable role played by the ILO in developing, promoting and supervising the application of international labour standards and of fundamental Conventions in particular, in law and in practice.
  3. We welcome Zimbabwe’s efforts to increase the protection of labour rights and eliminate child and forced labour. We strongly encourage further stepping up of these efforts, including on improving the effectiveness of tripartite social dialogue and the functioning of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF). We will continue to closely monitor these developments, not in the least in the context of ongoing negotiations aiming at deepening the existing Economic Partnership Agreement (ESA EPA), where special attention is paid to freedom of association and collective bargaining, non-discrimination and forced labour and child labour.
  4. Regarding ILO Convention 105, we note with deep regret the Committee’s observations on penal sanctions involving compulsory labour in Zimbabwe. According to the Committee of Experts, under various provisions of national legislation, such as the earlier Public Order Security Act (POSA), the current Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) and the Criminal Law Code - penalties of imprisonment, involving compulsory prison labour, and forced labour are being used to ban trade union protests and criminalise peaceful expression of views opposed to the established political, social or economic system.
  5. Moreover, the provisions of the Labour Act continue to enable the imprisonment with compulsory prison labour, of trade union activists engaged in organizing or peacefully participating in strikes.
  6. In line with the Committee’s recommendation, the EU and its Member States strongly urge the Government of Zimbabwe to take the necessary measures to ensure that legislation, such as sections 31, 33, 37 and 41 of the Criminal Law Code, sections 7(5) and 8(11) of the MOPA and certain provisions of the Labour Act, are repealed or amended in order to bring them into conformity with Convention 105.
  7. With reference to the related Forced Labour Convention 29, we commend the government for having ratified Protocol 29 in 2019. In line with the second Trafficking in Persons National Plan of Action (NAPLAC 2019-2021), we call on the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation of the Trafficking in Persons Act and to provide information on the convictions and penalties applied, both for cases of sexual and labour exploitation.
  8. The EU and its Member States will continue to support the Government of Zimbabwe in its endeavours to respect all Conventions it has ratified, including in particular the fundamental labour Conventions, both in law and in practice.
  9. Thank you Chair.

[1] *The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.