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Nyemudzai Kakore Herald Reporter
Chitungwiza City Council has appealed against a Labour Court order compelling it to clear all salary arrears by July this year.
The municipality filed the appeal after an independent labour arbitrator M.C Kare, at the end of last year, ruled that the council must pay all its workers by July this year.
Acting town clerk Mrs Priccilar Vengesai said the arbitrator did not take into consideration the financial crisis the municipality is facing.
“We have appealed to the Labour Court for the order to be reconsidered as the municipality does not have the capacity to pay all outstanding wages by the end of July,” she said.
“We are paying all our employees half salaries to try and clear the backlog.”
She said the council will continue to pay all its workers half salaries.
“The half salaries are from the top management up to the least paid worker. At least this what the council is able to pay for now,” she said.
Mrs Vengesai refuted claims that managers had allocated themselves 600 litres of fuel each plus holiday allowances while the workers wallowed in poverty.
Managers were reportedly getting fuel coupons worth 80 litres per week but because of limited finances the fuel quantities have been reduced to 40 litres a week.
In the December 2013 ruling, the arbitrator had said employees would be paid in the following order: grades 1-3 in January, grade 4 in February, grade 5 in March, grade 6 in April, grades 7-9 in May, grades 10-12 in June and the management in July.
The municipality owed workers more than $50 million in unpaid salaries and allowances.
Online Reporter