- Zimbabwean civil servants have threatened to boycott work nationwide if the government fails to increase workers’ salaries next month. The ultimatum will coincide with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s visit to the United States and Europe seeking financial back-up for the collapsed economy.
The government had promised to hike the payments since the new administration came into office in February. It is currently paying a US$100 monthly allowance to civil servants, an allowance that workers complain it is not enough to meet their monthly needs despite the country’s signs of economic recovery.
According to a statement issued by the Public Service Association (PSA), the workers have decided to go on strike should the government fail to hike salaries or allowances next month.
“We have agreed that as soon as government gets some funds it will improve on the US$100 allowance. If there is no improvement then, the members promise to take action,” the statement said.
A Zimbwean official has said the government was working to mobilise resources to improve remuneration and conditions of service for public workers, urging civil servants to be patient with the new administration.
The unity government formed in February this year, has met a number of challenges, with both civil servants and teachers threatening to embark on an indefinite strike.
But the new unity administration has quickly moved to pay hard cash allowances to teachers, doctors, nurses and all civil servants to try to woo them back to work as part of a drive to get Zimbabwe functioning again and on the road to recovery.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s visit to the western world has not yield any funding with mainly technical and humanitarian assistance trickling for the country.
Zimbabwe had put forward a plea bill of about US$ 8 billion for its economic bail, to which regional and other members of the continental and global family were expected to contribute.
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