Civil service disputes over salaries intensify

By Tererai Karimakwenda
28 February, 2008

More civil service workers are reported to be walking off their jobs this week after government failed to increase their salaries to satisfactory levels. As their monthly pay showed up in their accounts earlier this week, workers at the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) downed their tools. It is believed workers at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) are also contemplating going on strike soon. Inadequate salaries and poor working conditions are at the centre of the disputes with government.

Our Harare correspondent said the ministry of justice has also been hit by a series of strikes as officials in the judiciary join magistrates who have been on strike for some time.

Muchemwa said the situation was worsened by the discovery this week that Robert Mugabe had secretly used a presidential decree to order huge salary increases for the police and military. It is believed this was to ensure their loyalty in the period leading to the polls set for March 29th.

Muchemwa explained that most civil servants are making between Z$300 million and Z$600 million. Mugabe increased the police and military salaries to Z$1,200,000 for low end privates and up to Z$3 billion for their superiors.

Our correspondent said it was news of the increased military and police salaries that caused the other civil sectors to strike. They now want the same pay scale.

Muchemwa added that teachers from the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), who have been on strike since the beginning of the year, were joined by teachers from the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) this week. This is the second time that Zimta, which is largely perceived as being sympathetic to government, has joined the more outspoken PTUZ in their strike over salaries.

Government does not seem to have any solution for this economic crisis. With annual inflation officially over 100,000%, any salary agreements with government are bound to become meaningless within weeks and workers will be back at the negotiating table asking for more. Observers continue to insist that only a resolution of the broader political crisis can solve the economic problems.