Business Reporter
Peter Mutasa has been appointed President of the Finance and Insurance sector of UNI Africa, the regional arm of the UNI Global Union.
His nomination was confirmed unanimously during the union’s 6th Africa Conference, currently taking place in Maputo, Mozambique, under the theme “Consolidate Working Class Power.”
In his new role, Mutasa will lead initiatives aimed at improving labour standards across the continent’s finance sector. The Finance sector is one of several industry-specific structures under UNI Africa, which represents more than 20 million members across various sectors.
In his acceptance remarks, Mutasa highlighted the pressing challenges facing finance workers in Africa, including job losses linked to digitalisation and artificial intelligence, as well as deteriorating working conditions. He affirmed that a strategic four-year action plan has been developed to address these issues.
“African finance workers are facing many challenges that require strong unions to address. These include massive retrenchments due to digitalisation and AI, as well as poor working conditions,” he said. “We have come up with a clear plan of action that will guide our agenda for the next four years.”
Mutasa has an extensive background in labour activism. His career began at Standard Chartered Bank in Zimbabwe, where he served as a Workers’ Committee member. He later rose through the ranks of the Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU), where he currently serves as General Secretary.
He also held the presidency of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) from 2016 to 2021, a period marked by high-profile labour actions. Mutasa is presently Chairperson of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a civil society umbrella organisation.
He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and is pursuing doctoral studies.
