Union slams RBZ chief

Molline Gagare Chronicle Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has criticised Reserve Bank governor John Mangudya for saying workers should not expect salary increments this year.

The central bank chief said last week that what was needed now is to “balance the economy first and increase salaries later”, adding that any wage hikes would be unsustainable.

Mangudya said people were “just being paid for going to work or for activity and not productivity”.

ZCTU secretary general Gideon Mashoko yesterday told The Chronicle that the governor’s utterances were “most unfortunate and careless” as he only concentrated on salary increments and did not address the high cost of living.

He said some companies had started salary negotiations with employees on possible increments and the governor’s statement would affect those negotiations.

“The governor gave a one-sided statement. How can he only talk about salaries and not look at the high cost of living? Good salaries are what stimulates the economy,” said Mashoko.

“This isn’t good at all. Other companies that are performing well had started negotiating. It’s obvious that if negotiations had already begun, then it means they can afford to give their workers decent salaries. These companies might stop negotiations because of the governor’s most unfortunate and careless statements.”

He said freezing salaries will adversely affect workers as they will be unable to purchase or access vital services such as hospitals, medical aid or insurance.

Mashoko said it is not true that civil servants in the region are lowly paid and those in Zimbabwe earn better salaries than them. He said it is also not true that workers are being paid for going to work or for activity and not productivity as had been said by the reserve bank governor.

“You can’t talk about salaries without looking at inflation. South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia have economies that are performing. It’s not the same as Zimbabwe where there’s no performance,” he added.

“Where have you seen an employee going to work and not produce anything? Is that realistic? Who gets paid for doing nothing? As long as an individual is employed, he or she is being productive at their place of employment.”

Cde Joseph Chinotimba, the Vice President of the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, has however come out in support of Mangudya. He said bond coins were introduced so that ordinary Zimbabweans could afford to purchase products in the shops and their use will result in prices going down.