Government is aware of the economic challenges affecting
its employees and is committed to engaging them in frank discussions on what
can and cannot be done to assist them, a Cabinet minister has said. Primary and
Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima said while Government would
always seek to improve employees’ welfare, the State could not promise US
dollar salaries.
This follows demands by some teachers’ unions for salaries
in foreign currency. In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Prof Mavima said:
“Teachers are justified to make the demands.
“We also want them to come to the table to discuss with the
Government and what is implementable will be implemented. What cannot be implemented – we are always very frank and
candid with them to say that this is not possible at this particular moment in
time and we always have hope for the future.
“At the moment the situations remains. Salaries are paid
through RTGS and I am not sure if the situation will change.”
However, Zimbabwe Teachers Association president Mr Richard
Gundane repeated the demand for US dollar salaries.
“We are reaffirming the position that teachers be paid in
foreign currency, which is the only way to go in these current circumstances.
“We are not at a point where we are threatening to take
industrial action, but the events will unfold,” said Mr Gundani. Economic analyst Dr Gift Mugano said Zimbabwe’s economy
could not afford foreign currency salaries.
“We have a serious foreign currency shortage in the country
and the bottom line is that teachers cannot be paid in foreign currency as this
will trigger the rest of the civil service to demand payment in foreign
currency,” he said.
In the 2019 National Budget Statement presented two weeks
ago, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube
underscored Government’s commitment to improving employees’ welfare, and
undertook to pay annual bonuses early. Most civil servants started getting the
bonuses last week, a marked departure to the past few years when the previous
administration staggered payments well into the following year. Sunday Mail
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