Bulawayo, (New Ziana) –The Zimbabwe government has been urged to urgently ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention Number 193, which establishes the first legally binding global labour standard specifically addressing workplace digitalisation and the platform economy.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) head of Trade Union Organising and Occupational Safety and Health, Michael Kandukutu, made the call while addressing delegates at the Zimbabwe Labour and Employment Summit 2026 in Bulawayo on Friday.
The call comes amid growing concerns that the rapid expansion of the digital platform economy is exposing thousands of Zimbabwean workers to insecure employment, low incomes and inadequate labour protections.
“While digital labour platforms were creating new employment opportunities, they were also deepening informality and leaving many workers outside the protection of existing labour laws. The rise of the platform economy presents both opportunities and challenges. The Convention does not seek to prohibit self-employment or any particular business model, but rather to ensure that platform workers enjoy appropriate rights and protections regardless of their employment status,” Kandukutu said.
He noted that Zimbabwe, like many developing countries, already has high levels of informal employment, with taxi drivers, delivery workers, domestic workers and other service providers often working as self-employed or casual workers.
“Platforms are further precariatising these workers through algorithmic management practices, while even highly skilled professionals are increasingly being pushed into informality through online freelancing and talent platforms,” he noted.
Kandukutu explained that platform work is not an entirely new form of employment but represents traditional work increasingly being organised or mediated through digital technologies.
He said the ILO Convention is the first global labour standard specifically for the gig and platform economy, guaranteeing universal protections for digital platform workers regardless of their employment status.
Among its key provisions, he said, are guarantees for freedom of association and collective bargaining, safe and healthy working conditions, protection against discrimination and harassment, and the elimination of forced and child labour.
“The Convention also introduces important safeguards on automated decision-making systems. Digital labour platforms should provide workers with clear information on how algorithms allocate work, while significant decisions affecting access to work or earnings must be subject to human review,” he explained.
Kandukutu further emphasised that the Convention strengthens protections for workers’ personal data and seeks to prevent surveillance and exploitation through digital technologies.
He added that the Convention recognises the cross-border nature of platform work and requires governments to clearly define the responsibilities of digital labour platforms and intermediaries operating within their jurisdictions.
Importantly, he said, the Convention also promots the formalisation of platform work by encouraging registration of self-employed workers, improving access to social security and strengthening enforcement of labour standards.
Kandukutu urged Zimbabwe to align its labour framework with the new international standard by initiating consultations between the government, employers and organised labour.
“We need to start the process of ratifying Convention No 193 through the relevant government Ministries in consultation with unions and employers. This should be followed by a comprehensive gap analysis to identify shortcomings in existing laws and policies and determine what legislative reforms are required,” he said.
He also encouraged the development of sector-specific workplace policies and collective bargaining agreements to address decent work deficits in the digital platform economy, adding that the ILO stands ready to provide technical assistance throughout the ratification process.
Kandukutu pointed out that the Zimbabwean Constitution, particularly Sections 34 and 327 relating to the domestication of international instruments and treaties, provides a legal basis for incorporating the Convention into national law once ratified.
According to the World Bank, the number of platform workers globally has grown to between 150 million and 435 million, reflecting the rapid expansion of digital labour platforms across sectors such as ride-hailing, food delivery and online freelancing.
However, this growth has also been accompanied by widespread concerns over income insecurity, lack of social protection and limited labour rights.
New Ziana
