by Kundai Marunya

EVERY year on May 1, Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating Workers’ Day, a tradition rooted in the struggles of the labour movement for fair wages and better working conditions. However, in recent years, the relevance of these celebrations has been called into question. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and other labour bodies have seen dwindling turnouts at official events, signalling a disconnection between the traditional concept of a worker and the reality of Zimbabwe’s employment landscape.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimSTAT), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimate Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate at between 10 and 25 percent, but these f igures do not capture the true picture of the country’s workforce. Zimbabwe’s economy is heavily informal, with up to 80 percent of the working population engaged in selfemployment, vending, artisanal mining, small-scale farming, and cross-border trading. These individuals are the backbone of the economy, yet they remain largely unrecognised in formal Workers’ Day commemorations.

It is time to redefine what it means to be a worker in Zimbabwe. Workers’ Day should celebrate everyone contributing to the economy, from the street vendor and the welder to the small-scale farmer and the metal fabricator.

By doing so we can foster a sense of national pride and encourage formalisation, in line with Government policies like the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030. One of the clearest signs that traditional labour movements are out of touch with reality is the repeated failure of stayaways and shutdown protests called for by opposition-aligned unions. These protests, often framed as political resistance, have consistently failed to gain traction because they ignore a fundamental truth: the majority of Zimbabwean workers cannot afford not to go to work. For the informal trader, the kombi driver, or the street vendor, a day spent at home means a day without food. For small-scale farmers, shutting down markets like Mbare Musika means perishable produce they have tended to for over three months is left to rot. Unlike salaried workers who might survive a day’s strike, the self-employed majority need to maximise on time, time is money after all. When unions or opposition parties call for stayaways, they are essentially asking people to sabotage their own livelihoods, which only hurts the workers.

This disconnection exposes a deeper problem: many unions and opposition groups are still fighting an old battle, one that assumes a workforce dominated by so-called formal employment, which was largely owned by the whites and foreigners in the past. Stayaways, shutdowns, mass protests or whatever one chooses to call them, are relics of a time past, when the majority of workers were in factories and offices, with unions negotiating a living wage on their behalf. Today, Zimbabwe’s economy is driven by individual hustle, not collective bargaining. The opposition’s persistent push for economically disruptive protests reveals a regime change agenda disguised as worker advocacy. Rather than proposing solutions that align with the realities of informal employment, they cling to strategies that punish ordinary people more than the Government. If unions truly want to represent workers, they must move beyond protest politics and start offering practical support, access to markets, financial inclusion, and policy engagement that benefits the so-called informal sector.

The informal sector is no longer a temporary refuge but the mainstream economy. According to the ZimSTAT, informal trade accounts for over 60 percent of GDP, with millions relying on it for survival. Yet, these workers are often excluded from labour rights discussions, social security and financial inclusion. Recognising them on Workers’ Day would be a step towards integrating them into the formal economy while acknowledging their tenacity. Unlike in the past, where formal employment in factories, mines, and Government institutions was the standard, today’s workers are hustlers, creatives, and innovators. A young person running a mobile money agency, a woman selling vegetables at Mbare Musika, or a youth manufacturing furniture in Glen View, these are the new faces of labour. Workers’ Day should reflect this shift by celebrating small business owners, freelancers and artisans who keep the economy moving despite limited support.

Trade unions like the ZCTU were once powerful voices for workers, but their influence has waned due to retrenchments, and the surge in ‘informal’ work. Many workers no longer see unions as relevant to their struggles. To regain relevance, unions must expand their mandate to include informal sector advocacy, offering services like legal aid, f inancial literacy and access to markets rather than just focusing on formal employment issues. The traditional image of a worker, a factory employee or office worker, no longer represents Zimbabwe’s labour force. Workers’ Day should recognise vendors, informal traders, artisanal miners, small-scale farmers, crossborder traders, artisans, freelancers, and transport operators. A more inclusive Workers’ Day would feature exhibitions, skills-sharing workshops, and networking events tailored to these groups.

The Second Republic’s NDS1 and Vision 2030 aim to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy. Key pillars include value addition, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship development. President Mnangagwa is an ardent believer in inclusive participation to build a better Zimbabwe, as he often reiterates through the mantra ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanizani balo’, who in this case is everyone involved in honest economic activities. Workers’ Day should promote these policies by showcasing success stories of ‘informal’ workers who have scaled up, providing training on accessing Government loans and encouraging partnerships between informal traders and formal industries. Many informal workers avoid formalisation due to high taxes, bureaucracy, and lack of incentives.

Workers’ Day should be a platform for simplified registration processes, tax incentives for those transitioning to formality, and access to affordable workspaces. Instead of the usual speeches and marches, Workers’ Day could be a vibrant expo where informal traders exhibit products, artisans demonstrate skills, financial institutions offer onthe-spot business accounts, and tech startups provide digital solutions for small businesses. This would make the day more engaging and beneficial for the average worker. Zimbabwe’s economy has changed, and Workers’ Day must change with it. The hustler on the street, the resettled farmer in the rural areas, and the selfemployed artisan are the true drivers of growth. By redefining Workers’ Day to celebrate these individuals, we can boost morale and national pride, encourage formalisation and value addition, and strengthen the indigenous economy.

This May 1, let us celebrate everyone who earns a living through hard work. Let us move beyond outdated definitions of work and embrace the Zimbabwean spirit of hard work and innovation. Let’s push for policies that recognise and uplift the informal sector, because Zimbabwe’s economy is built on the people, not just formal institutions. Only then can Workers’ Day regain its significance.