Tourism salary talks deadlocked

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Salary talks between tourism workers and employers have been deferred to next month after the two parties failed to reach an agreement, officials have said.

VICTORIA FALLS — Salary talks between tourism workers and employers have been deferred to next month after the two parties failed to reach an agreement, officials have said.

Negotiators met in Harare last week for talks which ended prematurely with no agreement and were deferred to tomorrow.

Employees are asking for increments of between 130% and 236% to bring them closer to the poverty datum line figure of $535.

The tourism sector is divided into two sections — Sector 1 for mainly hotel and lodges employees of which the least-paid worker currently earns $275 per month and Sector 2 for mostly those in conservation, safari and wildlife operations where the least paid employees currently earns $70.

These salaries do not include allowances and other packages.

Phanuel Chinoda, acting general secretary of the Zimbabwe Tourism and Allied Workers’ Union said they wanted a 130% increase for Sector 1 which would see the salaries rising to $540 from $235.

“We also want Sector 2 salaries increased by 236% from the current $70 to at least $235,” he said.

Employers’ Association for Tours and Safari Operators president Clement Mukwasi said the negotiations would resume next week, but declined to give more details.

“It’s too early to divulge any information on the negotiations,” he said.

The tourism sector is Zimbabwe’s third-highest foreign currency earner after mining and agriculture, earning $851 million in 2013, but is among the lowest paying industries. — The Source.