Civil servants have said funeral policies and medical aid contributions are taking up a large portion of their earnings, leaving them with little money for essential needs like food, rent, school fees, and transportation. Service providers for medical aid and funeral policies have been increasing their prices to protect themselves from losses caused by inflation and the rapid depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar.
Civil servants, who recently asked the government to reconsider taxes on their US dollar salary component, are now facing a dire situation. Their COVID-19 allowances were converted into taxable earnings, but the heavy taxation has rendered the money meaningless.
In interviews with <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200023181/were-starving-govt-workers-cry">NewsDay</a>, civil servants expressed frustration with their employer for failing to alleviate the rising cost of living. The Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions, David Dzatsunga, said that deductions, especially for insurance and debts, are eating into the Zimbabwe dollar component of their salaries. Some workers are receiving figures that are less than their actual salaries after deductions. Dzatsunga was quoted as saying:
<blockquote>
The issue is that the RTGS component of our salaries is now getting eaten up by deductions, especially from insurance and debts.
All that is taking up a lot of our RTGS component to the extent that workers are getting figures which are actually minus their salaries after the deductions.
The situation as it stands is very critical and it requires that the employer really moves very quickly to meet up and resolve the situation.
</blockquote>
Teachers have accused funeral policy and medical aid companies of deducting substantial amounts from their already meagre wages without consulting them. Some members received notifications of deductions as high as ZWL$500,000 and above, while their Zimbabwe dollar component does not exceed ZWL$900,000. This leaves them with very little money.
Progressive Teachers Union Zimbabwe’s president, Takafira Zhou, highlighted that their members’ earnings are inadequate due to heavy taxation. He called for a basic salary of US$540, housing and transport allowances, and education support. He said:
<blockquote>
The current basic salary of US$300 is grossly inadequate considering that it is now taxed and suffers heavy deductions from medical aid and other deductions from teachers as responsible parents.
The best form of investment is in the education of pupils and those entrusted with the nurturing of the youths or pupils must be motivated so that they engineer a skill’s revolution that can foster development, innovation and dynamism so crucial for sustainable development of Zimbabwe.
</blockquote>
Civil servants are urging the government to address their salaries and living conditions urgently. They emphasize the importance of investing in education and view the underpayment of teachers as a detriment to the country’s future development.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe’s president, Obert Masaraure, called on the government to treat the issue with urgency and encouraged civil servants to fight for their rights and dignity.
Zimbabwe is currently facing hyperinflation, making the cost of living unaffordable for many. Calls for dollarisation have grown, but the government has resisted, instead announcing plans to introduce a gold-backed currency.
In recent years, government employees regularly went on strike to push the government to restore their pre-October 2018 salaries. However, the government says it doesn’t have the financial capacity to pay them at least US$540. Workers believe that the government does have the means but chooses to prioritise other matters, such as buying expensive cars for traditional leaders, to secure their loyalty, particularly during elections. The government justifies these car purchases for chiefs and Members of Parliament (MPs) as part of their employment conditions.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Pindula News

Government Workers Struggle As Funeral Policies And Medical Aid Consume Earnings

Civil servants have threatened to engage President Emmerson Mnangagwa directly over their demand for a salary increment if the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Paul Mavima ignores their request to meet at the negotiating table soon.
Speaking at a belated Workers Day Commemorations organised by the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Union (ZCPSTU) in Harare on Friday, union secretary general David Dzatsunga said they have written to Mavima notifying the Government that they were now financially incapacitated to continue reporting for duty.
Dzatsunga also said they requested for an urgent National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting with their employer to discuss civil servants’ demand for a salary increment. <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/civil-servants-vow-to-escalate-wage-demands-to-mnangagwa/">ZimLive</a> quoted Dzatsunga as saying:
<blockquote>
Just yesterday (Thursday), we served notice to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of our incapacitation.
The minister has our letter, where we notified him that workers are now incapacitated to report for duty.
Incapacitation does not refer to a strike; it’s just the fact that the economic situation has gone bad.
We have also requested an urgent NJNC (National Joint Negotiating Council) meeting to discuss the way forward concerning our situation.
We have also said that if that does not happen, we need to escalate that by writing to the President.
We are waiting for the minister (of Public Service) to respond to us then we come up with the next strategy.
</blockquote>
Civil servants are currently earning US$250 in allowances in addition to about ZWL$200 000 but they are demanding US$840 per month for the lowest-paid Government employee.
The call comes as prices of goods and services have been increasing rapidly, with most shops and service providers pegging prices on the parallel market exchange rate which has rendered a 100% pay hike for civil servants last month meaningless.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Civil Servants "Incapacitated", Vow To Escalate Salary Demands To Mnangagwa

Workers’ unions yesterday reiterated their call for salaries in United States Dollars (USD) with one union saying the lowest-paid worker should get US$840. 
They said United States dollar salaries were the only way to cushion workers from the inflationary economy. 
Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Unions secretary David Dzatsunga said they were now demanding US$840 for the least-paid civil servant. <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200007205/demand-for-us-salaries-grows-louder">NewsDay</a> cites him as saying:
<blockquote>
It is the only way we can cushion workers from the rampant Zimbabwe dollar inflation. I believe that our position now stands at about US$840 for the lowest-paid worker if we are going to obtain a food basket. In our next round of meetings, we are going to press on for US$ salaries.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions’ secretary-general Japhet Moyo said employees now deserved to be paid in foreign currency to make ends meet. He said:
<blockquote>
The economy has dollarised but workers are not getting US dollar salaries.
During the last round of negotiations which took place in December, government acknowledged that the economy was dollarising, hence agreeing to US$150 for the lowest-paid worker.
The talks ended in a deadlock as to how the US$ salaries should be implemented. The option was either government introduces a statutory instrument or the money is paid in the local currency, but equivalent to US$. Employers preferred the latter and this is where we are.
</blockquote>
The Zimbabwe dollar which was re-introduced in February 2019, after being ditched for a decade, has been continuously shedding value against other currencies, particularly the USD.
The depreciation of the local currency has promoted the use of foreign currency.
Public sector workers have over the years asked the government to restore their pre-October 2018 salaries that werearound US$540 on average. The government has said it does not have enough forex to pay them that amount.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

"Our Position Now Stands At About US$840 For The Lowest-paid Worker" - Union

The College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe has said the issue of lecturers leaving the country for greener pastures abroad has become a trend.
This has left Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions facing acute staff shortages, <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200004316/staff-shortage-hits-zim-universities">NewsDay</a> reported citing College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president David Dzatsunga.
He said the brain drain at universities intensified this year. Dzatsunga said:
<blockquote>
The issue of lecturers leaving colleges has been happening for some years and has become a trend.
</blockquote>
It is said that some universities and colleges recruited underqualified lecturers to replace skilled personnel which left the country for greener pastures a development that is reportedly compromising the quality of learning.
Some institutions are reportedly relying on part-time lecturers. 
Students’ representatives told NewsDay yesterday that the lack of lecturers at the institutions had disrupted learning, resulting in longer semesters.
The <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/National_University_of_Science_and_Technology">National University of Science and Technology (NUST)</a> was forced to postpone some of its examinations scheduled for last week because students had not completed their modules due to a shortage of lecturers. 
University and college workers have in recent years embarked on periodic strikes over poor salaries and risky working conditions.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

“The Issue Of Lecturers Leaving Zimbabwe Has Become A Trend" - Lecturers Association

Teachers in rural schools are living in fear after suspected ZANU PF activists allegedly set bases at various schools across the country. The activists are said to be habitually interrogating teachers and other public servants over this week’s planned strike.
Civil servants gave the government a 14-day deadline to improve their welfare. The deadline expires today, January 24. Apex Council secretary David Dzatsunga said:
<blockquote>Having met today (yesterday) to interrogate the $300 million offer that government presented to us and the 22,7% cushion from the government, the Apex Council contents that the problem of incapacitation is yet to be addressed as the offers from government fall short, in our calculation, by $1 219 (real-time gross settlement or bond) for the lowest paid worker.
The Apex Council will not be liable for whatever happens thereafter…</blockquote>
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said that ZANU PF bases have been established in several provinces across the country. Said Majongwe:
<blockquote>We have noted with concern that there are Zanu PF party activists that are visiting several schools in rural Zimbabwe, getting names and log-in sheets.
Some of them are in Manicaland province, Mashonaland’s Chikomba and Mudzi, where Zanu PF activists have actually gone to set up bases in these schools and are taking note of which teacher is there or not, including in Matabeleland South and others.
We believe that it is not Zanu PF’s business to interfere with school operations. It is wrong, Zanu PF activists, in whatever capacity, have no business visiting schools and I think the Public Service Commission made this point very clear that it is not the duty and responsibility of any political party to visit schools and setting terms.</blockquote>
However, ZANU PF national spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said that his party was not aware of the victimisation of civil servants. He said those that have been affected must report to the police.
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