THE Harare City Council (HCC) has approved a 25% salary increment in a development which will see the least-paid employee taking home US$536.

A Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed between the employers and employees' representatives shows that the least paid employees in Grade 16 will be earning a basic salary of US$143, water allowance US$24, 34, rates allowance US$32, 45, electricity allowance US$445, 54, Housing allowance US$15 77, Transport allowance US$25 plus the sustenance allowance to give a total of US$532,72.

Workers in the mid-level grades between 12 and 13 will be taking home around US$638 with the highest workers earning around US$800.

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com HCC's HR committee chairperson, George Mujajati said the increment is payable in local currency.

"The CBA is pegged in US$ but it will be paid in the local ZWG currency. We are not in any position to pay foreign currency because our revenue inflows are largely in the ZWG currency. Any adjustment on the position will be dependent on changed circumstances," he said.

The developments come at a time when the local currency has suffered heavy blows on the back of inflationary pressures.

The ZiG currency suffered harder blows during the period with the month-on-month inflation rate reaching 1, 4% in August 2024, and gaining 1.5% on the July 2024 rate of -0.1 percent.

The Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL) for one person in August 2024 was ZiG 631.86. The TCPL is derived by adding the non-food consumption expenditures of an individual below the FPL.