BY Lorraine Muromo
Labour unions have said civil servants’ bonuses have already been eroded by inflation and urged government to urgently pay their salaries at the prevailing interbank rate.
Their demand comes after a notice by the Public Service Commission (PSC) indicated that all civil servants would receive their bonuses by the end of the month as promised in the wake of complaints that the security services sector was getting preferential treatment because its members have already been paid their dues. “There will be no staggering of the payment of bonuses as reported in one newspaper,” the PSC said in a statement.
However, unions said the bonuses would not protect them against the country’s harsh economic situation.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union president Obert Masaraure urged government to pay teachers and other civil servants using the interbank rate. “Our public service sectors are collapsing because government is ignoring our call for an interbank rate index,” he said. “We encourage the broader working class to unite and collectively fight against exploitation packages in the name of the near liberal strategy called austerity.”
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Peter Mutasa declared that the payment of bonuses would not change the welfare of civil servants.
“When the bonuses will be paid does not matter. It will not change the conditions of the poor working class and government should urgently address the erosion of salaries and pensions or rather go back to dollarisation so as to match prices with goods and services,” Mutasa said.
“The issue of bonuses being paid in November or whether today is a non-mater, and anyone boasting they will be paying those is insane.”
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Apex council chairperson Cecilia Alexander said they only got to know that all the bonuses would be paid by the end of the month after receiving notices from government to that effect.
