HARARE
–
Government
workers
will
get
a
salary
increment
which
will
see
wages
elevated
from
the
current
US$324
per
month
to
US$364
for
the
lowest
paid
employee
backdated
to
September,
a
union
representing
civil
servants
has
said.
The
wage
review
represents
an
increase
of
just
US$40
for
each
one
of
the
country’s
troubled
public
workforce.
In
a
statement,
the
Zimbabwe
Confederation
of
Public
Sector
Trade
Unions
(ZCPSTU)
said
the
increase
was
the
outcome
of
protracted
negotiations
between
government
and
workers’
representatives.
“In
the
end,
the
employer
committed
to
pay
as
follows;
Review
of
salary
by
US$40
across
the
board
for
the
grades
of
Deputy
Director
and
below
with
effect
from
September
1,
2024
“Resultantly,
the
lowest
Grade
B1
will
move
from
a
salary
of
US$324
to
US$364
effective
1st
of
September
2024,”
said
the
union
on
Tuesday.
Government
also
committed
to
paying
its
workers
annual
bonus
over
two
months.
“The
2024
bonus
will
paid
in
November
and
December
2024
with
the
payment
modalities
to
be
announced
soon,”
said
the
union.
In
the
negotiations,
workers’
representatives
demanded
that
the
increment
be
paid
in
US
dollars
in
light
of
the
exchange
rate
turbulence
the
ZiG
has
been
experiencing
recently.
But
government
however
said
it
could
not
pay
more
due
to
its
parallel
commitments
towards
ameliorating
the
effects
of
the
El
Nino
induced
drought
that
has
left
millions
starving.
Added
the
union,
“The
initial
offer
of
US$31
million
converted
to
local
currency
was
dismissed
as
inadequate
by
the
workers
on
two
occasions.
“The
employer
increased
the
envelope
to
US$41
million
but
insisted
that
it
will
be
paid
in
local
currency
at
the
prevailing
bank
rate
with
effect
from
1
September
2024.
“The
employer
cited
the
drought,
lower
than
expected
United
States
Dollar
revenue
inflows
and
the
government’s
policy
shift
towards
de-dollarization
as
reasons
for
the
inability
to
pay
more
than
the
tabled
offer.
“Also
cited
was
the
very
low
ZiG
pay
for
sections
of
the
civil
service
whose
statutory
deductions
are
in
limbo
and
that
the
2024
Mid-term
budget
has
no
provision
for
a
salary
adjustment.”