ZIMSPHERE
HARARE – Zimbabwean civil servants, represented by the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), have expressed discontent over substantial deductions made by the government on a recently announced US$300 wage increase.
Stock Photo: Vecteezy
The increase, which was initially celebrated as it incorporated the Covid-19 allowance into regular wages, has now been met with dissatisfaction.
January paychecks revealed significant deductions, which the civil servants have deemed unjust and unethical.
"While the ZCPSTU appreciates the noble gesture by the employer to make the US$300 the salary, there is however an outcry from all public sector employees regards the new salary structure," stated ZCPSTU's Cecilia Alexander.
She further explained, "It is the workers' experience that the deductions on the USD have left them with inadequate disposable income constituting unfair labour practice on the part of the employer. It is a trite labour principle that an employee's salary shall not be subject to reduction for any reason."
In light of these deductions, the ZCPSTU expects the employer to restore the workers' take-home pay to more than USD 300, without compromising the principle of USD as the salary.
Government employees have been advocating for salary increments for over two years, with the government only granting them periodic reviews. Their trade unions argue that this approach has kept them in a state of continuous poverty.
Members of the Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) and Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU) have declared incapacitation, threatening to either entirely skip work or adopt a go-slow approach.
FOZEU issued a statement last week, declaring, "The Federation declares here and now that the government should review salaries of teachers to a minimum of USD 1 260 per month by 22 January 2024.
"If the government fails to play ball, all Limons affiliated to the Federation have resolved to mobilise their membership to completely withdraw their labour."
Prior to the recent increase, civil servants had been earning less than US$100, prompting many to seek better-paying opportunities in Europe, America, Canada, and Australia, among other places.
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