In an exclusive interview, ZCTU secretary general Japhet Moyo, said current disgruntlement among civil servants was mainly due to the failure by government to communicate with its employees.
“There is no communication most of the time and when it happens, government is trying to do some damage control. The problems is that government is so much used to doing things its own way and does not consider labour as an essential component of the governance process,” said Moyo.
“If you carefully listen to the complaints coming from civil servants, it is abundantly clear that there is no dialogue with government. Workers have so many questions but government just won’t give answers.”
Teachers this week indicated that they would go on strike soon because government was failing to address its remuneration demands.
Even though their 2014 bonuses were paid in retrospect this month, they still consider their salaries too low and want them to be increased to match the consumer index, which is above $500.
Most teachers, like the majority of civil employees, are getting less than $300 dollars per month.
Doctors and nurses are also threatening industrial action because of poor remuneration. Zimbabwe probably has the least paid government doctors who get a gross of $280 on average in monthly salaries.
The medical experts working at government health centres are also contesting government’s unilateral decision to reduce their salaries, a move that goes against the labour law.
Zimbabwe was rocked by persistent strikes from 2000 until the formation of the government of national unity (GNU) in early 2009. The country suffered a massive flight of skilled labour because of poor working conditions.
“There is a possibility that the situation in the labour market can deteriorate acutely, but as it stands, it is unlikely that we will go back to the crisis that we saw before the GNU. Government must just shed its arrogance and give workers space for consultation and the airing of grievances,” said Moyo.
Post published in: News