A senior Zimbabwean Minister has called on restive Public Service unions to be “realistic” in their demands for a pay rise.
The call comes as some Public Servants in the health services sector have embarked on industrial action for a minimum salary of $500 paid in United States dollars ($A714).
Minister for the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Paul Mavima (pictured) rejected this out of hand saying there would be no payments in US dollars and that all expenditure must be tied to revenue, with no borrowing for recurrent expenditure.
Professor Mavima said the Government had offered a one-off payment of a $US75 ($A107) COVID-19 allowance and a 50 per cent salary increase in local currency.
“This is an interim relief measure pending outcome of negotiations on employment packages,” Professor Mavima said.
He commended the workers’ representatives for engaging with the Government.
“I want to actually commend the Apex Council and the various unions that make up the Apex Council for their willingness to engage the Government and for the positivity that they have shown,” he said.
“Earlier this year, we came to the table; we discussed and agreed on a minimum wage for the Civil Service. It was implemented with a view that after three or four months we need to come back and discuss these issues.”
Professor Mavima said workers needed to be realistic with their demands.
“Our workers have to think in terms of what is available — and what we can make available in the future is to a very large extent dependent on what we do now,” he said.
Harare, 13 July 2020
