Civil servants threaten to strike in 14 days, lowest paid getting US$48

Civil servants have given the government a 14-day notice to address their salaries otherwise, on expiry, they will go on a nationwide industrial action.

The public workers have cited that the food basket is now ZWL114 000 (US$311) against a recent salary increase of ZWL36 000 (US$98) at the prevailing bank rate or US$48 at the black market rate which is trading at US$1: ZWL750) for lowest paid.

In a letter addressed to Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima, teachers and nurses unions have made it clear that they will not go to work if their grievances are not resolved in two weeks time.

“The Public Service Association (PSA), the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Unions (FOZEU), the Federation of Educators Unions of Zimbabwe (FEUZ) and Nurses Federation of Zimbabwe (NFOZ) hereby give notice of a services wide industrial action within 14 days of the date of this notice,” read the letter.

“Be advised that the industrial action hereby notified is in respect of a long overdue cost of living adjustment that speaks to the food basket that now stands at ZWL114 000 against the latest adjustment to ZWL 36 000 for the lowest paid worker.

“We, the undersigned federations hereby advise accordingly.”

Teachers specifically, are demanding salaries in the US dollar, the US$540 they earned during the inclusive government between 2009-2013.