The Minister may set by statutory instrument a minimum wage and benefits for a class of employees in an industry, require increments, and prohibit paying less. In practice most Zimbabwean workers are covered instead by the gazetted agreement of their National Employment Council, which is the operative floor.

Section 20(1) gives the power. The residual national minimum wage set under SI 186 of 2024 expressly exempts agriculture employers and employers of domestic workers, and sits below most sectoral agreements. The first question in almost any Zimbabwean pay dispute is therefore which council covers the employer, not what the national figure is.

Applies to: Employees in an industry with a minimum wage notice or a council agreement