Government disclosed the August pay dates for civil servants with a significant improvement on the timelines compared to previous months. The move flies in the face of shadowy groups, civic society and opposition political parties that were expecting to boost their political profiles through protests thinking Government would fail to pay its employees.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira said members of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe would be paid on August 23.
Those in the health sector will be paid on August 26, followed by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and prison officers on August 30. Teachers will get their dues on September 2, while the rest of the civil service will be paid on September 5. Pensioners will receive their pay outs on September 9.
Minister Mupfumira said no sector was in a worse situation compared to last month. She said it was a matter of time before all the civil servants are paid within the month worked as Government’s strategies start paying dividends.
“It is a fact that we have revenue challenges but as promised, we have managed to bring forward the pay dates for most of the workers except for teachers who received their July salaries on August 2 and for this month they will be paid on September 2,” she said.
“Just as said by President Mugabe during the Heroes Day commemorations that mechanisms are being developed to ensure workers get their salaries on the traditional pay dates, we are working day and night to improve and meet this target. We thank Treasury for working to ensure these improvements come. September dates will be availed as soon as modalities are in place because we want the workers, whom we treasure so much, to concentrate on service delivery.”
Minister Mupfumira added: “We will also continue engaging the workers, through the official channels, to update each other on the developments that will be taking place. They have every right to know what will be happening and National Joint Negotiating Council meetings will be held constantly.”
Government payment plans went off rail in June due to revenue challenges and efforts are now being made to revert to the traditional pay dates. Apex Council team leader Mrs Cecilia Alexander said while there was a significant improvement, Government should work towards bringing normalcy in the civil service.
“There has been some slight improvement in some sectors but in some areas, Government has maintained the same dates,” she said.
“No sector is in a worse situation compared to last month. We expected the dates for all sectors to fall within the month of June and we are calling upon the powers that be to take this issue seriously and bring normalcy as it affects the economic cycle of civil servants. This matter has been discussed at the NJNC and we shall continue to formally engage our employer.”
Government is channelling more than $200 million towards salaries, a situation which is unsustainable. As such, Cabinet recommended a civil service audit to cut on the wage bill. The civil service is now being rationalised with a number of cost- cutting measures being implemented. The measures will see the wage bill going down by $400 million every year.