Civil servants have been pushing for US dollar salaries,
but government has been pleading incapacity.
In a letter dated November 3, 2021 signed by Finance
permanent secretary George Guvamatanga and addressed to Public Service
Commission secretary Jonathan Wutawunashe, Health Services Board acting
executive director Angelbert Mbengwa, and Judicial Service Commission secretary
Walter Chikwana, government promised its restive workers a US
dollar-denominated 13th cheque to cushion them against the harsh economic
climate.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president
Takavafira Zhou said the announcement smacked of a campaign gimmick given that
the 2023 polls were around the corner.
“The struggle has never been a struggle over bonus. It has
always been a struggle over restoration of purchasing power parity of teachers
pegged at US$520, so anything less than that is a charade and issue of
misrepresentation,” he said.
“Coming to the issue of the bonus, it lacks clarity because
it is not a product of negotiations with any representative of the workers. It
was peddled as a form of propaganda or campaign tool perhaps towards 2023.”
He added: “The real issue is what we know is it will be a
bonus on basic salary and basic salary means if you remove transport allowance,
which is a bit over $2 000 and housing allowance for over $1 000 plus COVID-19
allowance, you remain with something like $12 000, so that by two months, it’s
$24 000 and that money is only US$200. That falls far short of our demand for a
month’s salary of US$520.”
Zhou said it was pointless for the government to award its
workers a US dollar bonus, only to pay them in local currency in December.
“We cannot celebrate this US$200 just for one month and
thereafter there is nothing. That to me is a charade and it is unfortunate.
Government should focus on restoring the salaries workers were getting prior to
October 2018. We are not interested in this tokenism, but we want a permanent
solution to solve the real issue.”
Zhou said the PTUZ would not invigilate Zimbabwe Schools
Examination Council final year examinations despite the bonus.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dondo said: “We
want our salaries in US dollars inasmuch as we appreciate what they have done.
It is not enough to appreciate the worker. We are concerned on how the US
dollar component is going to be distributed because banks have no money.”
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz)
also said the US dollar bonus would be resisted if government pegs it at the
interbank rate.
Artuz vowed to embark on a 12-day industrial action to push
for US dollar salaries beginning Monday.
“We should not allow this gimmick by the government to
bribe us into pacification,” Artuz said in a statement.
But Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Sifiso
Ndlovu said the bonus was a welcome development that ought to be celebrated as
a victory for the civil servants.
Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions
secretary-general David Dzatsunga chipped in, saying: “It’s an exciting development
and it speaks to our long-term demands to say workers must be paid in US
dollars, all workers and not just civil servants. Most businesses are charging
in US dollars and as a consequence local currency is not viable. Come the new
financial year, I hope it will continue.” Newsday
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