Civil servants receive back pay

SOLDIERS yesterday received their salary increments backdated to January, while other civil servants are expected to get their reviewed salaries before the end of this month.

Last week, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche assured civil servants that they would definitely get their salary increments this month backdated to January 2014, as promised by the government.

He said the availability of the salaries follows massive mobilisation of resources and funds that was done by the government through Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

Other civil servants, who include members of the uniformed services - the Air Force of Zimbabwe, police, and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) - are expected to get their backdated salary increments next week.

In interviews yesterday, soldiers were ecstatic that they had received their salaries and commended the government for fulfilling its promises.

They confirmed that they had received the back pay, with most of them saying their salaries were nearly $700.

"We received our increments today. I have checked with my bank and my salary was different from last month's salary," said one trooper, who preferred anonymity.

"I'm happy that the government has honoured its promise. We were eagerly waiting for this money. The money is not much but it will go a long way in catering for my family's welfare. I want to also commend the Apex Council for doing a great job. I hope they will continue to lobby for other non-monetary benefits."

Sakhile Ndlovu, whose husband is a soldier, applauded the government for sticking to its promise.

She said: "I'm yet to withdraw our money from the bank. My husband received a message on his mobile phone confirming that there is a double salary in his account.

"I'm grateful to the government for sticking to its promise. I hope the government will fulfill other promises they have made."

Public Service Association (PSA) president Cecilia Alexander confirmed that soldiers had started receiving their salaries backdated to January and said she was sure that the rest of the civil servants would get the money they were owed by their employer this month.

"We're happy that the government has honoured its promise and paid its arrears. The workers have started receiving their salaries and this is a big relief to the workers," she told Chronicle.

"I'm sure that the rest of the civil servants will get their money this month. We'll continue representing the workers and pursue other issues that the government agreed to implement."

She said the Apex Council - the umbrella body for civil service unions - would also insist that the government progressively reviews salaries to keep up with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL).

The government and civil servants representatives agreed on a salary deal in January that would see the lowest paid employee getting three quarters of the PDL which they set at $505.

The new salary structure will result in the lowest paid civil servant in Grade B1 getting $375, up from $297.

The adjustments were effected on the basic salary only. Transport ($66) and housing allowance ($91) remained unchanged.

The government has said another salary review is expected mid-year and the implementation of non-monetary and indigenisation benefits would take centre stage in-between.

Ministers have also agreed to mobilise an additional $3 million every month for the decompression of salary grades, a move that would see the workers being paid according to seniority, qualification and experience.