Civil servants salary cut bill - Govt workers challenge ministers to volunteer for salary cuts

CIVIL servants have said Cabinet's decision to accept the reduction of the public wage bill was made by people out of touch with reality adding Cabinet ministers should set an example by volunteering for salary cuts.

Cabinet recently said the civil servants' wage bill gobbles up to 92 percent of the national budget and was unsustainable.

Government workers said the move was ridiculous and grossly unfair, as most of them were underpaid.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) Secretary General, Sifiso Ndlovu yesterday said Cabinet ministers should have a taste of their own medicine before issuing it to others.

"It would be good if those in the cabinet made a sacrifice and had their salaries reduced. In fact, we should all be affected the same way by the situation of the economy," said Ndlovu.

Other civil servants said Cabinet was quick to advocate salary cuts for others but would balk at the same proposal regarding their salaries.

"The lowest paid civil servant gets about $280 and we have been fighting for the money to be at least $502. This salary cut nonsense should stop or else we will go on strike," said a teacher in the city.

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa is on record saying  92 percent of the budget going to salaries was unsustainable.

Civil servants have for the past 10 years been engaging  the government to award the lowest paid worker a salary equal to the poverty Datum Line (PDL) which is $502.