GAPWUZ, GenERAL Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe

General

GAPWUZ is a membership based Zimbabwean trade union for workers in the agricultural sector. It is a voluntary, democratic, non-partisan and autonomous trade union organisation which promotes advances, protects and works for the improvement of the living and working conditions of the workers in the agricultural sector with special focus on the farm workers communities. Prior to the land reform programmes of 2000, the union had a membership of approximately 100 000 out of a total of about 450 000 farm workers Female workers account for slightly above 50% and constitute mostly for the contractual workers. The fast track land reform and the related resettlements of 2000 however affected the industry resulting in the number of workers and particularly union members losing their jobs. The union membership is now 25 000 out of a potential of about 100 000 farm workers. GAPWUZ works with the farm employees with the objective of empowering them to demand their rights, freedom, better working conditions, fare wages, better living conditions and environment. The main activities are workshops on Human/Workers’ Rights Training, Gender Mainstreaming, Capacity Building, Wage Negotiations, Workers’ Committee Training, Wage Consultations, Restructuring of the Union structures and Information gathering and Dissemination. Focus during this period will be member recruitment sensitive to the welfare of staff and members, eradicate all forms of child labour, reduce incidence of casual labour, and have gender sensitive and inclusive policies, increase members knowledge on workers´ rights. GAPWUZ operates in a highly conflict ridden environment. GAPWUZ’s goal of improved working and living conditions can be difficult to reach in the short to medium term.

Objectives