Key Points
- Government workers hire lawyers over salary delays.
- Teachers face frustration with unpaid November bonuses.
- Unions claim government breached salary agreements with workers.
Government employees have engaged legal counsel to seek clarification concerning the inability of certain civil staff, notably educators, to obtain the local currency component of their November salaries and bonuses, approximately two weeks post-payday.
Government workers turn to lawyers for answers.
Last week, teacher unions contacted the government requesting clarification, but officials have not yet replied.
NewsDay has ascertained that while several teachers have verified the receipt of their pay cheques on Friday, others are still confused regarding the timing of their remuneration and 13th cheque.
David Dzatsunga, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), informed NewsDay on Saturday that workers have reached out to the government without success.
We have not obtained any feedback from the government. “We have retained our attorneys to represent us and enquire about the reasons for the lack of payroll funding,” Dzatsunga stated.
Unions accuse government of breaching salary agreements.
In a letter dated November 22, 2024, directed to the Public Service Commission and reviewed by NewsDay, ZCPSTU President Cecelia Alexander alleged that the government violated a recent National Joint Negotiating Council agreement over salary and bonus payments.
The message said that multiple banks had notified our members of the non-receipt of their salaries from the government. “This has incited considerable discontent among the employees, leading us to request a statement from the employer to elucidate this extraordinary matter.”
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) communicated with Public Service Minister July Moyo and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, alerting them to escalating tensions within schools.
“Certain educators journeyed with the anticipation of receiving their salaries, only to be dismayed upon discovering that they had received no compensation,” stated PTUZ Secretary-General Raymond Majongwe in the correspondence.
During a recent interview with NewsDay, Majongwe urged the government to clarify its strategy for compensating teachers for the depreciation of their salaries resulting from the two-week delay.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has charged the government with insufficient recognition of educators’ contributions.
ZIMTA President Akuneni Maphosa stated, “This absence of transparency exacerbates frustration and uncertainty regarding forthcoming payments.” This serves as a reminder to all employees of the challenging period in 2008.
Deputy Minister Kudakwashe Mnangagwa did not answer calls, and both Minister Moyo and Ministry Secretary Simon Masanga were unavailable.
In his 2025 budget presentation, Ncube unveiled a new tax framework to augment revenue for government expenditures. Critics contend that the government need to prioritize the reduction of extravagant expenditures, including the acquisition of luxury automobiles for officials.
Some argue that the government’s priorities are mismatched.
