The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has welcomed the conversion of civil servants’ US$300 COVID-19 allowance into a pensionable salary.
The first batch of State employees, that is uniformed forces and health workers, is expected to start receiving it this Friday.
ZINA president Enock Dongo told The Herald that the conversion of their old US$300 COVID-19 allowances to permanent pensionable salaries will boost civil servants’ morale. Said Dongo:
This is a welcome development. We are happy with this move which has been taken by the Government as it will make sure there is sustainability and boost the morale as well as the confidence of the workers.
Allowances can be removed anytime, but salary cannot be removed willy-nilly so it means that there is trust, hope and confidence that the move is going to bring to the workers eventually motivating them.
It means those workers who are being retired from service after serving a long time were getting peanuts when their pensions were being calculated, especially using the local currency.
Now that the calculation will be done using the forex component it means they are going to get something meaningful that they can take home. It is an advantage.
He said civil servants can now borrow from banks and also expect to get meaningful pensions upon retirement. Dongo said:
They want to see people having a better living even when they leave public service to go and retire after serving for so long.
The civil servants can now be able to borrow from the banks in forex and can do some projects which is better than before when it was allowances. It was so difficult for somebody to go and borrow forex.
Dongo, however, implored the Government to avoid heavily taxing salaries because it would disadvantage the civil servants. He said:
If it is going to tax, it means it is going to reduce the amount which will not be good for the workers.
We also expect the Government to increase that salary to a meaningful salary which is competitive in the region.
We expect the salary to move gradually towards the US$540 which was being given before October 1, 2018.
The Government introduced a US$75 COVID-19 allowance in 2020 and has progressively increased it to US$300.
Civil servants say the allowance is not enough to meet their basic needs and are demanding at least US$840 for the lowest-paid worker.
The Government says it cannot meet civil servants’ demands under the current economic climate.
More: Pindula News