CIVIL servants yesterday accepted the government offer of a $54 salary rise, which will see the lowest paid employee earning around $375 per month. VENERANDA LANGA SENIOR REPORTER
According to some of the negotiators, the increment was a far cry from their efforts to achieve a poverty datum line (PDL) wage of $505 for the least paid civil servant.
The negotiators said they had no choice but to agree to the $54 increment for progress’ sake.
The government is said to have set aside $13 million for civil servants’ salary increments for 2014. The workers’ representatives said they were now basing their hopes on the mid-term budget review that could give them another lifeline towards achieving a PDL-linked wage. Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said the $54 increment would see the salary bill increasing from the previous $142 million to $155 million per month.
“The salary bill will move by $13 million and it means the lowest paid civil servant will now get $375 inclusive of transport and housing allowances,” he said.
“This is not the best increment they could give us, but it opens a new chapter so that we move forward and see what should be the next stage, for example, looking at other modalities of non-monetary incentives like housing stands at affordable monthly rates.”
Ndlovu said the National Joint Negotiation Council also agreed that $3 million would be set aside to take into cognisance increases of salaries of some civil servants who had achieved senior levels and higher educational qualifications.
Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Manuel Nyawo said they were unhappy with the increment, adding they had to compromise in order to reach an agreement with the government.
