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Robin Muchetu and Clinton Moyo, Sunday News Reporters
BONUS is not a worker’s entitlement hence there is no guarantee that workers in the private sector will this year be paid the 13th cheque, employers have said.
Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe executive director Mr John Mufukare said most employers might not be able to pay bonuses if they fail to meet their production targets.
“As we are well aware that the 13th cheque is not an entitlement, it is an earning that arises from an enterprise having exceeded agreed targets, Emcoz is therefore not in a position to say whether its members will meet or exceed their agreed targets,” he said.
Mr Mufukure said as an organisation they were encouraging their members to meet and go beyond their agreed targets if possible.
“Emcoz is interested in greater economic activity for the good of the nation, therefore, it encourages all its members to meet and if possible exceed their agreed targets and we would not go beyond that encouragement,” he said.
Mr Mufukare added that his organisation has a mandate to lobby for an enabling environment for sustainable initiatives.
“Emcoz’s mandate is to lobby for an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises. At the moment, this involves a consistent policy framework, so that the country can attract investors, addressing the economic distortions which make Zimbabwe a high cost of production zone; as exemplified by cost of borrowing and cost of poor infrastructure and also tackling corruption. We hope all this will be part of the new beginning ushered in by the new political dispensation,” said Mr Mufukare.
The Government has, however, promised that it will pay its workers their bonuses.
Although the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance Mr Willard Manungo could not immediately be contacted for a comment, civil servants representatives said they were still banking on the initial promise they got from Government that their bonuses will be paid as from February next year.
Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander yesterday said they were patiently waiting to receive their 13th cheque despite the delay.
“We had a discussion and we were informed that from February next year we should expect bonuses. We had the meeting with the National Joint Negotiating Committee,” she said.
She said although the bonus payment is delayed, they appreciated the commitment by the Government to pay the money.
“We also appreciate any reversals on the bonus pay dates, we are pleading with the Government to update us on any changes that will take place,” she added.
For last year bonus, the last batch of civil servants only got their money in July this year as payments were staggered due to funding problems.
“We just received the last batch of bonuses recently and we totally understand that Government cannot pay two bonuses in one year so there is a high chance that bonuses will come in February as promised. We are willing to wait,” she said.
derick.khumalo