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The recent offer of residential stands by Government to its workers as payment for bonuses for 2016 is progressive. Government has since come out clean to its employees on the status of its coffers, which does not permit space for a financial reward as bonus. In our view, the civil servants stand to score big with the residential stands arrangement.
Non-financial benefits always have more impact on the lives of the workers, especially when they come in substantial forms like residential stands. We have had stories in the past in which employees blew away their annual bonuses just in one night.
While we are not qualified to lecture the civil servants on how they should spend their earnings, it is clear that the residential stands offer will be of more benefit and value compared to a once-off financial reward.
We have, in the same breath, been taken aback by the attitude of the union leaders, which purport to represent the civil servants.
No right thinking civil servant can entertain the behaviour of the leadership of such unions who are opposed to the residential stands offer, demanding bonus in cash now, yet fully aware Government doesn’t have such money even if there was a binding agreement. Unions such as the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) are pressing for monetary rewards. What makes us concerned is that the unions’ leaders are obviously playing politics with the civil servants.
To begin with, the issuance of residential stands will be a form of empowerment, which the unions have failed to do for the years they have existed. Such unions are aware that a dis-empowered civil servant will always rely on them, even when they offer empty promises.
In reality, this means the unions will never want Government to fully empower its workers because that will take away their rallying point.
Zimta, for example, claims to have more than 40 000 members, with each paying a subscription of $10 per month. The union has potential to collect up to $400 000 per month.
With such an amount, we might have those already owning several houses in leafy suburbs denying their membership a chance to own just one empty stand, even at a growth point.
This is an obvious case of intolerable hypocrisy. The unions are focusing on their own financial benefit from the bonuses, especially in subscriptions and the residential stands offer threatens to take away that opportunity.
We are equally aware that when the unions speak on behalf of the civil servants, they are actually, in most cases, referring to teachers.
It is a fact that the majority of other civil servants do not belong to such unions.
In that regard, we welcome Government’s decision to deal directly with its workers on the residential stands, as this will protect them from being short-changed by the unions.
Civil servants are already in the process of filing in forms indicating their willingness to be allocated the residential stands, which will come at a zero deposit. This has been strengthened by information from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) which indicates that tens of thousands of civil servants prefer residential stands to cash for their 2016 annual bonuses.
Civil servants are making their choices through questionnaires being circulated by CSC in all Government departments.
Since the debate on stands-for-bonuses started last month, we note that the unions have failed to provide an acceptable reason why they are opposed to the move.
And the threats of a strike should not deter civil servants from such a huge benefit.
The truth is that for most employees, a house is the biggest investment of a lifetime. Many retire without providing basic shelter for their families because they cannot afford a residential stand, not to speak about a house.
Yet accommodation has become a human right. Four hundred dollars, even if paid out directly in cash to the worker, can never purchase a stand on the open market.
Union leaders should therefore be sincere that they are fighting for relevance. They should let civil servants make a choice: $400 bonus to be spent before the end of a week or a lifetime investment in a home.
Online Reporter