Apex chairperson Tendai Chikowore said civil servants need their salaries raised across the board, with the lowest paid workers demanding a raise from $286 to $560 per month. She added that rural, travel and housing allowances must also be reviewed, as promised by government.
But Finance Minister Tendai Biti dashed any hopes of a wage increase when he announced budget cuts in his mid-term review on Wednesday. He said government spending had to be cut from the expected $4 billion to $3.6 billion.
The Finance Minister said this was due to unremitted revenue from diamond sales and other government sectors, including the police and the registrar general. He also cited huge amounts spent on foreign travel and more than 10,000 new employees that were hired by ZANU PF without following proper procedures.
The Mugabe regime and its mouthpiece Herald newspaper have been blaming Biti for the wage crisis, making him and the MDC-T the target of disgruntled civil servants, war vets and soldiers seeking more money from government.
Oswald Madziva from the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), said civil servants are aware that Biti is not to blame as an individual, and the budget he presented is a result of cabinet discussions and approved by the inclusive government leaders.
“We are mindful that ZANU PF has been responsible for the destruction of the economy for many years. Biti is just the face of cabinet when it comes to the economy and we know there is enough money in Zimbabwe to sustain everyone. The problem is there is a lot of resource leakage,” Madziva said.
Last month a report by Global Witness revealed that funds are being diverted from the sale of Chiadzwa diamonds to finance a “parallel government”, with the help of a Chinese businessman named Sam Pa.
But Madziva explained that civil servants are desperate, with many failing to access basic healthcare or send their children to school. Madziva said the lowest paid government workers are earning $250 per month, less than half the poverty datum line. SW Radio Africa
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