Mine Workers Divided Over New Minimum Wage

The Solidarity Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (SMWUZ) has rejected the pay rates agreed upon at the National Employment Council (NEC) by the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe and the Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (AMWUZ).

A circular to mines dated November 22 by the National Employment Council of Zimbabwe says mining companies should pay the new minimum wages both in foreign currency and Zimbabwe dollars. It says:

Companies shall pay the new minimum wages in both US$ and RTGS portions. The new minimum wages at the signing of this agreement shall be maintained in their fixed nominal values until the next wage review.

Non-foreign currency generating companies are excluded from the requirement to pay in dual currency and shall pay the new monthly Zimdollar minimum wages as provided for above.

However, SMWUZ secretary-general Prince Mpala said the pay rates were improperly bargained as the negotiators did not consider the current prices of metals. Said Mpala:

The way in which these rates were bargained is not in line with what the employees in the mining industry are supposed to get.

The bargaining was also supposed to consider the period when the metals were low and how much the mine workers were earning.

For example, in 2018 the minimum wage was US$318 and the gold price then was 1 gram to US$25.

Now the gold price is 1 gram to US$55. This means that the salaries should have doubled as well.

AMWUZ secretary-general Gideon Chirwa defended the new pay rates saying salaries for the workers increased by 31 percent. Said Chirwa:

We have actually increased the salaries for employees by 31 percent. We usually do not go for the agreement before consulting our members who are employees in the mining industry. Our negotiations are based on parameters such as inflation.

The lowest grade was earning $166 000 but we have negotiated with the employer to increase the wage to $217 299.84.

It is unfortunate these claims are not coming from the employees but from some rival unions.

| NewsDay