Collective Bargaining Agreement Agricultural Industry Horticulture Sector

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has published the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the horticulture subsector of the agricultural industry, registered under section 79 and approved for publication under section 80(1) of the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01]. Once gazetted, it binds all organisations in the agricultural industry, not only the signatory members.

The agreement is between the employer parties — ZAEO, ZCFU, ZFU, CFU and agro employer representatives — and the employee parties, GAPWUZ and HGAPWUZ, all sitting on the National Employment Council for the Agricultural Industry. The parties agreed to abide by an arbitral award delivered on 31 March 2023 covering the period 1 September 2022 to 30 November 2022 on horticulture minimum wages.

The arbitral award minimum wages, stated as effective from 1 September 2022, run by grade: A1 US$76, A2 US$82, A3 US$89, B1 US$96, B2 US$102, B3 US$110, B4 US$118, B5 US$128, C1 US$138 and C2 US$150 a month.

For July 2023 only, the parties agreed on 28 July 2023 to split payment into two components: 40 per cent paid in United States dollars and 60 per cent fixed in USD but paid in Zimbabwe dollars at the interbank rate of 20 July 2023, which stood at US$1 to ZWL4 752,27140. That produced July 2023 USD components of US$30 for grade A1 rising to US$60 for C2, with the ZWL side ranging from 216 704 to 427 704. Figures in the schedule are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Establishments or employees may apply to the National Employment Council for exemption or partial exemption from the wage schedule, giving reasons, within 14 days of the date of the agreement. The agreement was signed at Harare on 28 July 2023 but only gazetted on 24 May 2024 — so readers should note the schedule is historic on its face, with the currency conversions tied to 2023 rates, and later awards may have overtaken these figures.