The government has agreed to a 25 percent cost of living adjustment on the United States Dollar (USD) part of civil servants salaries effective September 1, 2022.
The move comes at a time civil servants are mulling a strike against low wages which they are demanding to pegged in USD to cushion them against inflation.
Confirming the latest development, Apex council president Cecilia Alexander said Government did not table any increase on the local currency salary.
“The employer offered an increase of 25% on the USD100 to make it 125USD and maintained the USD75 Covid allowance to make a total USD package USD200 with effect from the 1st of September 2022. The workers acknowledged the increase but chose to wait for specific modalities on how this is going to be implemented. The employer did not offer or table any increase on the ZWL$ salary and the workers demanded that this be also reviewed without fail,” Alexander said.
She were concerned with the ZWL20, 000 per child school fees assistance to teachers which they was no longer enough following an increase in fees.
“On the school fees assistance for teachers, the Government indicated that they had faced challenges again with payment modalities but it was acknowledged by both parties that most of the bottlenecks have now been addressed. The workers then felt the ZWL20 000 per child was no longer enough given the latest school fees increase and that Government should consider indexing the figure to USD 50 value,” she said
Alexander said the Government committed to paying the 2022 bonus in USD but did not provide any figures and asked for time to consult on the payment details and the total offer thereof.
State workers are currently paid US$100 and a Covid allowance of US$75, meaning the proposed adjustment would increase their USD salary to US$200.
