By Sibailly Douhoure, StreetNet Organizer
StreetNet’s affiliate in Zimbabwe, ZCIEA benefited from a negotiations and strategy course which strengthened its capabilities and will help them in negotiations with the local municipal authorities in Harare and Chitungwiza. The activity was conducted in the framework of the project, financed by the Solidarity Center AFL-CIO.
Twenty leaders in ZCIEA including 14 women with 2 disabled from Harare and Chitungwiza, a suburb in Harare participated in the first training seminar on collective bargaining from 25th to 29th April 2016 at Hotel Almand in Harare city.
The workshop was facilitated by Sibailly M. Douhouré, StreetNet Organizer for Africa and Educator assisted by Wisborn Malaya, Secretary General of ZCIEA.
The program consisted of several activities: identifying the negotiations which they are already involved in, skills for a good negotiator, strategies and tactics of negotiation, negotiations procedures, field visits to municipality office, overcoming obstacles to collective negotiations in the informal economy, case studies in countries where affiliates of StreetNet are facing the challenges of collective negotiations, writing skills (basic knowledge for the agreements), future negotiations strategy.
Two negotiating teams were set up and the participants developed a plan to carry on the negotiations with the Municipal Authorities in Harare and Chitungwiza, from May to November 2016.
Mr. Ashbel Musaringo, Director of Solidarity Center in Zimbabwe attended the official opening of the works. Lorraine Sibanda, President of ZCIEA chaired the opening and closing ceremonies. The next negotiations and strategy course will take place in Bulawayo the second important City of Zimbabwe.
