Fearing protests, government relooks civil servants salary
The government has been forced into the negotiating table with public sector workers as it fears mass protests as inflation runs riot, pushing up the cost of living and driving ordinary citizens into deep poverty. Government will meet public sector unions this week over the welfare of civil servants, The Standard heard.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 2019 re-introduced local currency has been on a free-fall, and taken a severe beating since December 2023.
In December, the local currency was trading at below $9 000 to US$1, before taking a nosedive in recent weeks with the Zimbabwe dollar now at $15 000 to the greenback.
Prices of basic commodities have also been racing up since January after Finance minister Mthuli Ncube introduced a raft of new taxes and measures to raise much needed capital to finance government operations.
Ncube announced the new taxes in his 2024 budget statement in November last year and they came into effect this month.
As the cost of living skyrockets, salaries have remained stagnant amid simmering public anger within the private and public sector with the government fearing mass protests, sources said.
In January 2019, Zimbabweans took to the streets to protest fuel price increases along with increasing levels of poverty, the poor state of the economy, and declining standards of living.
Government responded by deploying the army to put down the protests.
At least 12 civilians were killed by security forces. Last week, Federation of Zimbabwe Educators (Fozeu) gave the Public Service ministry a January 22 deadline to respond to their demands of US$1 260 for the least paid civil servant.
Unions under Fozeu include the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz), Educators Union of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Visually impaired teachers Union and Professional Educators Union of Zimbabwe.
“If the government fails to play ball, all unions affiliated to the federation have resolved to mobilise their membership to completely withdraw their labour,” reads in part their letter of demand dated January that was also copied to the Primary and Secondary Education ministry.
Yesterday, Artuz leader Obert Masaraure said there had been no feedback from the government.
“There has been no response from the government as yet and this means we are downing tools from January 22,” he told The Standard when contacted for comment.
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public sector Trade Unions, formerly the Apex Council, David Dzatsunga, however, said they will be meeting the government representatives to discuss the welfare of public sector workers this week.
Sources said the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
“We are putting together our position right now where we are looking at the food basket and other variables that have pushed the cost of living beyond reach,” Dzatsunga told The Standard.
“What is critical to understand is that we are more concerned about the reduced value of wages, especially the US$300 allowance now that it is taxable.
“The take home should never be less; we seek the restoration of that and an increase from US$300 given the nature of the economy.”
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive, Sifiso Ndlovu also confirmed the scheduled meeting.
“We feel there is a need for dialogue,” Ndlovu said.
“In our view it is premature to talk about industrial action.
“We want our members to buy into an idea that would have matured where there would have been conflict with the government with regards the welfare of civil servants.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou and the union’s secretary general, Raymond Majongwe, also confirmed this week crunch salary talks with the government.
“We also believe that everything that we do must be a position that we get from our membership,” Majongwe said.
“As we speak, we are doing a due diligence consultative process with our membership.
“Having completed that mission, we have an obligation to engage others and sister unions.
“We have learnt several lessons that without collective engagement we end up with skirmishes that would not bring wholesome fundamental changes that we want.
“However, we honestly believe that we must get to US$540 before we look at other factors.”
Zhou said: “It is our conviction that this is no time for any discord by teacher unions in both leadership and membership, but a time to close ranks and demand an urgent improvement of salaries and conditions of service in Zimbabwe.
“We have not closed room for dialogue with the employer, but that dialogue has to produce tangible results as teachers can no longer be prisoners of hope.”
No comment could be obtained from the Public Service ministry.
However, sources said there was panic in government corridors over the ever increasing cost of living amid political tensions in the country.