Government urged to compensate farm workers over job losses

By Alex Bell
30 June 2009

The unity government has this week been urged to initiate moves to compensate tens of thousands of farm workers, who have lost their jobs as a direct result of Robert Mugabe’s ‘land reform’ scheme.

The visiting Netherlands President of the Trade Union Confederation, Agnes Jongerius, told reporters at the end of a five-day trip to Zimbabwe that thousands of former farm workers had been left struggling to survive as a result of the land-grab. The Trade Union Confederation chief and a delegation were in Zimbabwe since last week, assessing trade union and workers rights. Her visit was also meant to assess the political and socio economic conditions of workers and see if they were consistent with internationally recognised standards.

During her visit, she met workers from both the formal and informal sectors, NGOs, and some workers who lost their jobs for various reasons. She described to reporters the ‘horrible’ cases of unemployed former farm workers camping by the roadside and ‘in needless suffering.’

“The land reform programme which took place in the name of addressing the historical injustices, has made hundreds of thousands of farm workers unemployed and homeless,” Jongerius said.

She added: “Farm invasions have intensified since the inclusive government was formed and thousands of workers lost their income and have no roofs above their heads.”

“The land audit, which is mentioned in the GPA, has not yet started,” Jongerius continued. “The compensations, which should be paid to former workers of expropriated farms, have not been paid.”

The plight of Zimbabwe’s farm workers has been largely overlooked, as the campaign to remove the remaining commercial farmers from their land continues. Hundreds of farm workers have lost their jobs this year alone, adding to the already staggering unemployment rate of 94%.