Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has fulfilled its pledge to review upwards the salaries for civil servants who started getting their backdated pay yesterday as the employer commits to ensuring a living wage for its workforce.
Public sector workers have also been assured of their usual annual bonus that will be paid next month.
Following a National Joint Negotiating Council meeting with employees on Monday, the Government resolved to increase the salaries of workers up to deputy director level.
Yesterday, members of the uniformed forces started receiving their reviewed salaries, which have also been aligned to the latest exchange rate movement for the local currency component.
The Government had pledged to adjust the salaries of the civil servants following last month’s drastic exchange rate shift from US$1:ZWG14 to US$1:ZWG25.
A Chronicle crew yesterday observed that banks and major supermarkets were a hive of activity as civil servants enjoyed shopping and made different transactions after getting their money.
Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) president, Mrs Cecelia Alexander, confirmed the increase and said the lowest civil servant will now receive the equivalent of US$364.
“Following a series of meetings by the NJNC, the two parties later met on the 14th of October 2024 at Kaguvi Building, Harare, and agreed to the following:
“Review of the salary by US$40 payable in local currency at the prevailing official exchange rate, across the board for the grades of deputy director and below with effect from September 1, 2024,” she said in a statement.
“This will result in the lowest Grade B1 getting a total package of US$364.45 from US$324.45.”
Mrs Alexander said the Government further reviewed bus fares effectively from October 1.
She said the Government has also committed to paying the 2024 annual bonus in November and December.
“The payment modalities will be issued in due course,” she said.
Mrs Alexander said the Government is expected to share the employees’ job evaluation exercise by Monday next week. This is in fulfillment of the promise that the Government made to workers last week.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Cde July Moyo, recently revealed that the Government was set to review salaries for civil servants.
“The Government has allocated a significant amount in US dollars to ensure that salary adjustments benefit all civil servants.
“However, under the President’s directive, we have prioritised the upliftment of lower-income employees to bridge the wage gap,” said Minister Moyo.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive officer, Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said while teachers have observed the salary adjustment, more needs to be done to meet their expectations.
“The plea from the workers is that the salary adjustment should have been accompanied by an increase in the US dollar component of the salary as the local currency has not fully stabilised in the market.
“The adjustment comes at a time when salaries in the local currency had fallen by at least 42 percent in the official market and 67 percent in the informal sector.
“So, generally, the adjustment remains low and does not bring much excitement to workers,” said Dr Ndlovu.
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