The Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) has called for the modernisation of collective bargaining processes to adapt to the digital era.
Speaking on behalf of Emcoz president Demos Mbauya at the confederation’s summit in Kadoma, the confederation’s executive director, Nester Mukwehwa emphasised the need for National Employment Councils (NECs) to embrace digitalisation and technology to improve efficiency and transparency.
The summit was held under the theme ‘Collective Bargaining in a Digital Era,’ which brought together industry experts to discuss the future of labour relations in Zimbabwe.
“Our theme this year challenges us to look beyond traditional approaches and boldly embrace the transformation sweeping across workplaces, industries, and economies worldwide. This theme is not only timely but vital given the rapid digital transformation of the world of work,” Mbauya said.
“The economic developments are setting the stage for renewed social dialogue, with a special focus on collective bargaining. It is a no-brainer that collective bargaining cannot be framed in isolation but should reflect lived realities of bipartite and tripartite parties in the context of the wider macroeconomy.
“In this regard NECs, which have long been the bedrock of structured bipartite negotiation, standard-setting, and sectoral wage frameworks, need to remain fit for purpose in this era of rapid digitalisation. Henceforth, we envisage NECs that operate not just in physical boardrooms but also in digital spaces.”
He said that through online portals, employer and worker representatives could submit proposals for new collective bargaining agreements, upload data on wage trends, and even convene virtual sub-sector working groups.
“NEC secretariats, using digital case-management systems, can handle grievance filings, conciliation notices, and mediation tracking more efficiently. This would reduce delays, improve transparency, and give both employers and employees real-time visibility on bargaining metrics,” Mbauya said.
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“Moreover, NECs must build digital capacity among their staff investing in training labour relations officers, arbitrators, and conciliators in data analytics, virtual facilitation, and hybrid negotiation platforms. Such initiatives will help National Employment Councils to enhance their capacity, modernise their governance, and to drive more inclusive, efficient processes.”
He highlighted the changing nature of workplace conflicts in the digital age, urging NECs to adopt innovative online dispute resolution models and hybrid systems that combine in-person processes with digital tools, emphasising the need for quick and efficient conflict resolution mechanisms.
Mbauya addressed the importance of fair productivity gains for workers, warning against allowing gains to disproportionately benefit shareholders.
He proposed the creation of performance-based pay committees to tie wage increases to measurable productivity improvements.
“One of the most consequential challenges before us is how to share the gains of productivity in a way that is both fair and sustainable. In Zimbabwe, productivity gains are becoming more real than ever as the digital economy permeates traditional sectors,” Mbauya said.
“For example, in agriculture, precision farming and digital extension services such as mobile apps for agronomists allow farms to increase yield. In manufacturing, automation, energy-efficient machinery and data-driven supply chains are improving throughput. In mining, digitised monitoring, remote operations, and predictive maintenance drive cost-savings.”
Yet, he said when productivity rises, bargaining structures must ensure workers benefit, not just shareholders or management.
“Emcoz firmly believes in designing transparent productivity-sharing frameworks models where wage increases, bonuses, or profit-sharing are tied to measurable improvements in output, quality, and cost-efficiency,” Mbauya said.
He also called on collective bargaining frameworks to include the informal economy, encouraging tailored solutions such as mobile-money-based wage payments.
