Harare — THE Timber Council of Zimbabwe will approach the Labour Court after an arbitrator awarded its employees a 60 percent salary increment that will result in them earning an average US$110 a month -- a figure employers say they cannot afford.

Addressing the Press last week, TCZ chairman Mr Joseph Kanyekanye said the wages awarded by the arbitrator were far above regional levels.

"The wages are way out of tinker with regional wages, if we are to compare with countries like Botswana and South Africa," he said.

"We seem to be having a system of independent arbitrators to adjudicate for the industrial system and the quarterly increases are suicidal.

"There should be a convergence of views between employers and employees, whereby wage negotiations must factor in permissible factors," he said.

He said there was a possibility some workers would be retrenched.

However, the legal officer for the Zimbabwe Furniture Timber and Allied Trade Union, Mr Ian Makoshore, last week said the arbitrations came after several futile attempts by the National Employment Council to bring TCZ to the negotiation table.

"According to Section 74 and 94 of the Labour Act, after vain attempts to meet either of the parties an independent arbitrator will refer the matter for compulsory arbitration, and this is exactly what was done," said Mr Makoshore.