NRZ workers face pay cut

THE NATIONAL Railways of Zimbabwe has proposed to give its workers part of their salaries and convert the balances into leave days in a bid to reduce the huge salary backlog.

According to an internal memo issued to workers on Thursday last week and signed by the parastatal's general manager Retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai, workers would get between 50 and 75 percent of their salaries beginning end of this month, depending on their grades with the lowest grades getting a lower percentage.

The parastatal has proposed to give the lowest paid worker at least $150 every month.

The parastatal, which has a salary backlog dating back to June last year, stated in the memo that the arrangement was designed to enable workers to at least pay rent and other bills.

However, workers immediately pointed out that they were not happy with the arrangement because it dealt with future salaries while failing to address the issue of the salary backlog.

Part of the memo read: "This suggestion was considered by management as reasonable and meriting development. To this end, management convened a consultative meeting with labour on 2 April 2013, where at the concept of creating predictability for the payment of a portion of employees' net salaries with balance being parked as liability was discussed.

"In addition to the concept, management tabled a schedule giving typical payment scenario premised on the distribution of $2,7 million towards the payment of between 50 and 75 percent of employees' monthly net salaries (depending on the employee's grade) on the 30th of every month."

It indicated that the percentage of net salary to be paid per grade was based on the need to come up with an equitable and meaningful payment for every grade.

"A typical example used was that in negotiating with the landlord on overdue rentals, our employees are currently disabled from committing themselves on when they would pay due to the lack of predictability as to when they would get paid their salaries.

"Labour undertook to brief members on management's concept and typical payment proposals as detailed in the schedule that was tabled at the meeting, which appears to have since been distributed to members of staff."

The memo, however, pointed out that Labour did not agree with the ideas and wanted salaries to be paid in full and on time as per conditions of service.

NRZ workers' grades range from A to F.

According to a schedule, which was also released with the memo, grades A1 to A3, the lowest grades made up of general workers like messengers and cleaners, will get $150, which is 75 percent of their salaries.

B1 to B3 will get $200 a month, B4 and B5 will get $300.

The B grade is made up of workers that include senior messengers, junior clerks and secretaries.

The C grade, which is made up of pay clerks, accounts clerks and senior administration assistants, was also split into two with C1 and C3 expected to get $450, while those in C4 and C5 will get $700.

Workers in Grade D1 to D5 are expected to get $1 000 every month if the proposal is approved. The grade is made up of mostly engineers.

The schedule did not specify what grades E and F comprising heads of departments, senior and chief engineers, human resources managers and directors will get.

Workers who spoke to Chronicle said they were not happy with the proposal.

"We are not happy at all. We do not know the motive behind the plan. From past experience, we know our employer cannot be trusted. It is further disheartening to note that the proposal is silent on how the salary dating back to June last year will be cleared.

"We have been accumulating debts and need that money to clear them," said a worker.

A number of workers said they suspected that there was a sinister motive behind the proposal because it was not stated how much their bosses in grade E and F would get.

Contacted for comment, Rtd Air Commodore Karakadzai said the arrangement was merely a suggestion.

"It is not yet time to deliberate on that issue because it is still an internal issue that is being thrown around," he said.