Transcript ORGANISING THE MICROFINANCE SECTOR

ORGANISING THE MICROFINANCE SECTOR
Background and justification
Zimbabwe opened up its banking sector system to a
number of local players in the early nineties and
early 2000 resulting in the country being overbanked.
Around 2003/2004, a number of banks were
liquidated or placed under curatorship due to
imprudent banking practices. Again due to a decade
of economic crisis, more banks were liquidated,
placed under curatorship or merged. This formal
banking system was largely serving the formal
economy at the expense of the informal economy
and the rural economy.
• The microfinance sector then mushroomed in
order to service the largely financially excluded
informal Economy. Resultantly over 150
registered microfinance institutions are operating
in the country. The majority of workers in this
sector are working under precarious conditions
with serious decent work deficits and are largely
unorganised. There is currently no trade union
representing the interests of these workers as
their employers would want them to fall under
the commercial sector as opposed to the financial
sector.
• Main Goal/Objective- To Organise and educate
microfinance workers on worker rights.
• The Finance Union, Zimbabwe banks and Allied
Workers Union is considered militant by employers in
the microfinance institutions. Most employers in this
sector do not want their employees to be organised
hence they are not keen to allow the union to organise
on their premises. The working conditions in this
sector are poor, the salaries are way below the poverty
datum line and there is rampant casualization of
labour, resultantly serious decent work deficits exist.
OBJECTIVES
1. VISITS TO
MICROFINANCE
INSTITUTIONS TO
ADVISE ON LABOUR
RIGHTS
RESULTS
ACTIVITIES
TARGET
GROUPS
ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION OF
WORKERS IN
MEETINGS.
MEETINGS
WITH
WOKERS,
COMPANY
VISITS,DISTRIB
UTION OF
FLYERS
ALL
WORKERS
IN THE
MICROFINA
NCE
INSTITUTIO
NS
COOPERATING
PARTNERS
NATIONAL
FEDERATION
(ZCTU),
LABOUR
OFFICERS
(MIN OF
LABOUR)
ROLES &
RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOUCES
GENERAL
SECRETARY TO
COMMUNICATE
WITH THE
MICROFINANCE
INSITUTIONS
ABOUT THE
IMPENDING
VISITS, LIASON
WITH COOPERATING
PARTNERS
INTERNAL – HUMAN AND
FINANCIAL AND
EXTERNALY – HUMAN
RESOUSERS
2. EXPOSE,PUBLICISE
THE DECENT WORK
DEFICITS
INCREASESD
INTREST IN TRADE
UNION
ACTIVITIES,
MEETINGS,
CAMPAIGNS
,SOCIAL
MEDIA, MEDIA
ALL
WOKERS
MINISTRY OF
LABOUR, THE
FEDERATION
THE
ORGANISING
TEAM TO HOLD
MEETINGS,
CAMPAIGNS
INTERNAL AND
EXTENAL HUMAN
RESOUSES
3. SET UP
WORKPLACE
STRUCTURES IN
EACH INSTITUTION
PROPER
STRUCTURES,ACTI
VE PARTICIPATION
OF WORKERS IN
MEETINGS AND
INCREASED
INTREST IN UNION
ACTIVITIES
MOBILISE THE
WOKERS TO
FORM
WORKERS
COMMITEES
AS THIS IS A
REQUIREMENT
IN TERMS OF
THE LABOUR
LAWS
ACTIVE
WOKERS
AND
POTENTIAL
LEADERS
FEDERATION
CENTRE
ANDMINISTRY
OF LABOUR
THE ORGANISING
TEAM TO SET UP
STRUCTURES
AND EDUCATE
ON THE ROLES
AND FUNCTIONS
OF THE
WORKERS
COMMITTEE.
INTERNAL AND
EXTERNAL
ORGANISERS
• MONITORING AND EVALUATION
• A DEDICATED OFFICER WILL BE APPOINTED TO DEAL WITH
ISSUES FROM THE MICROFINANCE SECTOR. THIS OFFICER
WILL CONSTANTLY BE IN TOUCH WITH ELCTED OFFICE
BEARERS AT EACH WORK STATION AND ATTENT TO THEIR
ISSUES. REGULAR UPDATES ON MEETINGS HELD,
PROGRESS, ISSUES AND MEMBERSHIP GROWTH WILL BE
UPDATED TO THE EXECUTIVE AND THE ENTIRE UNION
LEADERSHIP.
• AFTER THE INITIAL SIX MONTHS, THE PROJECT WILL BE
EVALUATED BY THE EXECUTIVE AND SEE WHETHER MORE
RESOURCES WILL NEED TO BE CHANNELED TOWADS THE
PROCESS
• ASSUMPTIONS
• IT IS ASSUMED THAT EACH MICROFINANCE
INSTITUTION HAS BETWEEN 10-50 WORKERS.
• SEREOUS DECENT WORK DEFICITS EXIST IN THIS
SECTOR AND THAT THE UNION COULD MOBILISE
AROUND THESE DEFICITS
• IT IS ALSO ASSUMED THAT EMPLOYERS WILL BE
HOSTILE TO THE UNION HENCE THE INVOLVEMENT OF
THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST
THE EMPLOYERS HAVE RESPECT FOR GOVERNMENT
WHICH CAN IMPOSE SUNCTIONS.