Civil servants in Zimbabwe are set to receive a salary increment, raising wages by $40 from the current $324 per month to $364 for the lowest-paid employees, effective retroactively from September 1, 2024.
The announcement was made by the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), which represents the country's public workforce.
The wage review signifies a modest increase of just $40 for each member of the beleaguered public sector.
In a statement, ZCPSTU noted that the increase was the result of lengthy negotiations between government officials and workers' representatives.
"In the end, the employer committed to pay as follows; Review of salary by $40 across the board for the grades of Deputy Director and below with effect from September 1, 2024," the union stated.
"Resultantly, the lowest Grade B1 will move from a salary of $324 to $364 effective 1st of September 2024."
Additionally, the government has pledged to pay its workers an annual bonus over two months.
"The 2024 bonus will be paid in November and December 2024 with the payment modalities to be announced soon," the union added.
During negotiations, workers' representatives insisted that the salary increment be paid in U.S. dollars, citing recent turbulence in the exchange rate.
However, the government expressed its inability to fulfill this request due to competing commitments, particularly in response to the El Niño-induced drought that has left millions facing food scarcity.
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The union further explained, "The initial offer of $31 million converted to local currency was dismissed as inadequate by the workers on two occasions."
The employer subsequently raised the offer to $41 million but insisted that it would be disbursed in local currency at the prevailing bank rate starting September 1, 2024.
The government attributed its constraints to "the drought, lower than expected United States Dollar revenue inflows, and the government's policy shift towards de-dollarization," which have impacted its ability to provide a more substantial salary increase.
The union also highlighted that the existing low salaries for certain civil service sectors, whose statutory deductions are unresolved, compounded the issue.
Furthermore, they noted that the 2024 Mid-term budget did not account for any salary adjustments.
