Zim awards 300% pay hikes

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s government has increased the salaries of its 140 000 workers by 300 per cent, half of the workers’ original demands, a cabinet minister and union officials announced yesterday.

“We had wanted 600 per cent, but we got 300 per cent which is obviously an achievement in a negotiation process,” the secretary general of the Public Services Association (PSA) Emmanuel Chiviru said. “We have accepted it but we will soon engage government because the prices of commodities have recently started going up,” he said.Government workers had in January asked for a 600 per cent pay hike to match inflation levels, but the government rejected the demand.The workers were in January offered a 250 per cent pay increase, but they turned it down insisting on 600 per cent.An arbitrator engaged to help resolve the dispute settled for a 300 per cent rise.”Government has agreed with the arbitrator’s decision that a 50 per cent wage increase be granted to the civil servants as a top-up of the 250 per cent which was granted in January to bring it up to 300 per cent,” said Labour Minister Paul Mangwana.In addition to the pay hikes, government increased transport allowances, while housing allowances have been raised 100 per cent.In March, the government granted President Robert Mugabe a 350 per cent pay hike, which saw his annual salary climb from from 20.2 million Zimbabwe dollars a year (about 4,700 US dollars) to 73.7 million Zimbabwe dollars (about 17,000 US dollars).- Nampa-AFP”We have accepted it but we will soon engage government because the prices of commodities have recently started going up,” he said.Government workers had in January asked for a 600 per cent pay hike to match inflation levels, but the government rejected the demand.The workers were in January offered a 250 per cent pay increase, but they turned it down insisting on 600 per cent.An arbitrator engaged to help resolve the dispute settled for a 300 per cent rise.”Government has agreed with the arbitrator’s decision that a 50 per cent wage increase be granted to the civil servants as a top-up of the 250 per cent which was granted in January to bring it up to 300 per cent,” said Labour Minister Paul Mangwana.In addition to the pay hikes, government increased transport allowances, while housing allowances have been raised 100 per cent.In March, the government granted President Robert Mugabe a 350 per cent pay hike, which saw his annual salary climb from from 20.2 million Zimbabwe dollars a year (about 4,700 US dollars) to 73.7 million Zimbabwe dollars (about 17,000 US dollars).- Nampa-AFP