HARARE, Aug. 16 (NewsDay Live) — Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has urged the institution’s newly elected Workers’ Committee to protect employees’ rights, uphold integrity and resist the politicisation of labour issues as artificial intelligence and automation reshape the workplace.
Speaking at an induction workshop for the committee, Mudenda said its mandate was grounded in law and morality rather than administrative convenience.
“You were elected on the 4th May 2026 and now constitute the duly recognised Workers’ Committee of Parliament, holding office until May 2028,” Mudenda said.
He said the committee’s role was rooted in the principle that work was central to human dignity, social participation and personal development, citing German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s views on labour and recognition.
Mudenda said Section 65 of the Constitution guarantees workers’ rights to fair labour practices, safe working conditions, fair and reasonable wages, collective bargaining and maternity leave.
“Except for members of the security services, every person has the right to form and join trade unions and employee or employers’ organisations of their choice, and to participate in the lawful activities of those unions and organisations,” he said.
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He warned the committee against allowing partisan interests to undermine its mandate.
“Above all, you must resist the politicisation of labour matters. Parliament is a political institution by constitutional design and that very character obliges you to keep the welfare of employees free of partisan currency,” Mudenda said.
“The moment a Workers’ Committee becomes a vehicle for factional and partisan agendas, it forfeits the confidence that is its only enduring source of authority.”
Mudenda also urged the committee to ensure that technological innovation does not come at the expense of workers’ dignity as artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and data analytics become increasingly embedded in workplaces.
“Your Committee must absorb these innovative technologies in order to determine the terms on which they enter Parliament and ensure that innovation accentuates the dignity of workers and the efficiency of the institution in equal measure,” he said.
He called for human oversight of decisions affecting workers, protection of employee data and measures to ensure staff were not made redundant without opportunities for digital skills training, redeployment or fair consultation.
“You must, therefore, insist that decisions affecting workers’ livelihoods remain subject to human review, protect the privacy of employee data and demand that no member of staff is rendered redundant without exposure to digital literacy, redeployment or fair consultation,” Mudenda said.