Employment
Labour Act with NEC collective bargaining and Labour Court adjudication
The Labour Act (Chapter 28:01) governs employment, with much of the substantive detail set by National Employment Council collective bargaining agreements that are binding across an industry. The 2015 amendments responded to the Supreme Court's Zuva Petroleum decision, which had confirmed a common-law right to terminate on notice, by requiring retrenchment compensation.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Labour officers conciliate; arbitrators determine; the Labour Court hears appeals, with further appeal to the Supreme Court on law.
- Deadline — Unfair dismissal: referred to a labour officer, then to compulsory arbitration
- Deadline — Minimum retrenchment package: one month's salary per two years of service
Governing law
- Labour Act (Chapter 28:01) — as amended by Act 5 of 2015
- National Social Security Authority ActChapter 17:04
In practice
Zuva Petroleum (2015) is the pivotal case: by confirming that employers retained the common-law power to terminate on notice, it triggered mass dismissals and an immediate legislative response, and the resulting statutory retrenchment floor is now the baseline for any Zimbabwean termination.