Farm workers union rejects ‘poverty’ wage proposals
By Tererai Karimakwenda
June 19, 2007
The General Agricultural and Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe
(GAPWUZ) reports that the National Employment Council for Agriculture has offered farm workers a Z$96 000 monthly wage proposal, which they dismissed as unacceptable. With the Poverty Datum Line currently at Z$ 5,5 million, farm workers say they cannot survive on the proposed wages. David Mutambirwa, a GAPWUZ representative from Karoi, said the NEC claims it cannot afford to pay anymore. He is awaiting instructions from the top union officials as to the course of action to be taken next.
Mutambirwa painted a grim picture of life on the farms, saying farm workers are living desperate lives on a paltry income of Z$32,000 per month. He said those who are lucky enough to have maize meal survive on porridge without sugar and vegetables with no cooking oil. Their children are not in school and they cannot travel anywhere as they have no money for transport. Instead of accepting Z$ 96,000 per month, Mutambirwa said they would be better off selling tomatoes in the high density suburbs.
Mutambirwa blamed the plight of the farm workers on the new farmers who received land as part of the chaotic and violent land reform programme. He said the new farmers get agricultural loans from the bank, then spend the money on material things such as fancy cars and mobile phones, instead of buying seeds and fertiliser. These unproductive farmers are the ones that also want to pay farm workers the Z$96,000 a month. “We have no problem with the white commercial farmers,” he said, “In fact some of them are subsidizing their farm workers. They are paying even up to Z$260,000 while negotiations take place.
GAPWUZ secretary-general Gertrude Hambira is quoted in press reports saying: "We cannot accept Z$96 000 because it cannot support a family. When the current wage was negotiated at Z$32 000, we did not accept it and we are now proposing Z$2,7 million based on the social contract negotiations.”
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