Rainos Mukanya
The decision by the cash strapped Zimbabwean government to defer the payment of annual bonuses to teachers and other civil servants to the 27th of December has left the educators seething with anger and accusing government of not treating its employees equally following the awarding of salaries and bonuses to members of the uniformed forces in November without any hassle.
Following weeks of speculation that salaries and bonuses were going to be paid separately, the teachers had pinned their hopes on the meeting between the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Nicholas Goche and teachers’ representatives on Tuesday in which the minister was expected to put the rumours to rest.
The meeting, however, failed to come up with any positive news for the teachers as it only confirmed what the rumours had been saying as Goche indicated that the salaries and the bonuses would be paid separately with the salaries coming on the 16th of December and the bonuses either on the 20th or 27th of December.
In a circular to members after meeting Goche, Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) Secretary General, John Mulilo said, “the payment of bonus is planned to be done on a separate date than the salary, a development the Minister did not equivocally state.
“Salary will definitely be paid on the 16th of December, and bonus either on the 20th or the 27th of December 2013.”
Disappointed members chose to vent their anger on both the government and their representatives for taking them for a ride.
“Why is it that only the teachers have to wait for their bonuses in December every year when the uniformed forces would have received theirs in November?” asked one teacher from Harare who requested anonymity citing government policy which bars teachers from speaking to the media.
“With our meagre salaries bonus is the only time you can afford to buy your family new clothes and some household goods so this decision by the employer is not in the best interests of the teachers.
“Our representatives have failed us and our plans for Christmas are now in disarray,” said another teacher from Chiweshe.
This is the first time since independence that teachers have been paid their salaries and bonuses separately and some believe it is an indication that the government has no money.
The government’s woes are expected to mount in 2014 as civil servants demand a long promised poverty datum line (PDL) linked salary adjustment which would see the wage bill shooting up significantly.
Comments
About Author
Comments Closed .