The government has raised the ire of teachers after taking 2.5% of their salaries as contributions to its newly set-up mutual fund for civil servants amid claims the workers were not properly consulted.
Civil servants will contribute to the Government Employee
Mutual Savings (GEMS) Fund, which the authorities say will offer flexible loans
to members.
Government employees will start accessing the loans after
three months of contributions while those who do not wish to join GEMS will be
refunded.
The Progressive Teachers of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), however,
yesterday said the deductions were illegal because workers did not give their
consent.
“At law, any deduction from an employee’s salary or wage
should get the employee’s consent,” said PTUZ spokesperson Peter Machenjera.
“In most cases, deduction forms are completed by the
employee, instructing the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) to effect such deduction
and appending a signature to authenticate and authorise the same.
“However, what the teachers in particular, and civil
servants in general, witnessed yesterday (Thursday) was a clear act of
chicanery and thievery from an uncaring government.
“Teachers woke up (on Friday) to witness the shock of the
day when they discovered that government had fulfilled its dubious 2.5% GEMS
Fund deductions from every government worker’s salary.”
Machenjera added: “What makes this a criminal act is that
government never consulted its workers or the workers’ representatives as per norm.
“It is this paternalistic approach, which surprised the
teachers and can only be described as daylight robbery.
“At a time teachers were/are expecting a restoration of the
purchasing power parity of their salaries, the government was busy planning how
to circumcise salaries of suffering teachers, who have since tested positive to
poverty.”
He said most teachers were earning less than $18 000,
inclusive of housing, transport and Covid-19 allowances, which translated to
US$150 using the functional black market rate.
“Government is, therefore, reminded that the paternalistic
approach will not work, but collective and inclusive dialogue, and mutual
understanding,” he said.
“There are several questions, which remain unanswered
because of this unilateralism. Therefore, government should stop its
unpalatable GEMS Fund deductions forthwith and refund the amounts deducted so
far.”
Teachers have been challenging the establishment of the
GEMS Fund in court. The government is under pressure from its workers, who want
their salaries reviewed to factor in inflation.
Civil servants say they want their salaries pegged in
United States dollars, but the government continues to reject the proposals.
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