BVTA Press statement on International Workers Day

01 May, 2022

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) joins the country and the rest of the world in commemorating the International workers day. BVTA stands in solidarity in celebrating the past struggles and victories of all workers across the world and thousands of unemployed Zimbabweans who have resorted to vending and trading as a source of livelihood under the country’s harsh economic environment. This day is also commemorated at a time when the world is fighting the novel COVID-19 which has affected all the facets of human life.

We celebrate men, women and children who are tying to eke a living in the informal economy under punitive working conditions. We are aggrieved that it is common to work 10 to 16-hour days in hazardous and unsafe spaces in the informal economy, there is lack of social security, lack of medical health schemes and poor infrastructure. Women have no possibility of working remotely from home as the play double roles, staying at home would mean losing their jobs and with wages, they cannot eat.

BVTA also notes with concern that the grim employment statistics in the country affect mostly young people with thousands being deposited into the informal economy every year.

We are still deeply disturbed that informal economy workers are criminalised at local level, the municipal police are unbridled to conduct violent raids that have left informal traders wallowing in poverty and dismay.

BVTA implores the government to adopt practical steps towards creating conducive conditions for the informal economy workers to thrive in line with provisions on Economic and Social Rights in the constitution of Zimbabwe and provide social security for informal economy workers.

We honour the heroic struggle of all the informal economy workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twitter – @bvtatrust

Facebook Page – Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association

Facebook – Bulawayo Vendors Trust

Website – www.bvtatrust.org

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