News / National
Britain scrambles to maintain Zimbabwe sanctions
03 May 2015 at 04:46hrs | Views
Lack of consensus in the European Union saw the bloc coming within days of allowing illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe to end in February 2015, documents from Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office show.
In November 2014, the EU opened channels of co-operation with Harare following the lapse of "restrictive measures" under Article 96 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, but retained sanctions on the First Family and Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
The sanctions on President Mugabe, First Lady Grace Mugabe and ZDI were to lapse on February 20, 2015 and documents posted on the FCO website show there was reluctance to extend them.
However, the British political establishment scrambled to push other EU members to keep the embargo, and the FCO was furious with British Minister of Europe David Liddington for "sleeping on the job".
An FCO report says the British government lobbied "at the highest level" - and without following its own procedures with regards to how the parliamentary scrutiny committee formulates policy positions.
Mr Liddington responded saying he did all he could to get those opposed to the sanctions to toe Britain's line.
The FCO says, "In terms of timing, the minister (Liddington) says that discussions among member states had to await a report from EU heads of mission in Harare, which was only finalised on 10 January because of the need to take account of Zanu-PF's party congress in December and the average earnings of ordinary workers range between US$250 and US$280, but the figures show a marked decline when one factors in the agriculture sector, where the lowest paid earn between US$65 and US$70 per month.
The banking and telecommunications sectors pay their ordinary employees salaries of around U$500.
IPC managing consultant Mr Memory Nguwi told The Sunday Mail that the widening salary gap was attributable to results-based management, which companies are increasingly adopting.
"The majority of employees earn less because their salaries are regulated by the national employment council (for their sector). Even if the organisation wants to increase the salaries for them, they will be penalised by the NEC," he said.
"The top executives are highly paid because they do most of the problem-solving for the organisation and they will be more educated. As a result, organisations invest in them because they are not easily replaceable.
"However, Low incomes among blue collar workers affect morale, and effectively results in slowed company productivity and profits. Wide salary gaps create outright resentment for top managers and could lead to strikes."
Mr Nguwi advocated a "back to basics" model to address salary disputes in an environment of limited production and liquidity.
"Companies must prioritise productivity, then satisfy the workers' needs and not the other way around. Right now, some companies that are still open are only in survival mode," he said.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Mr Japhet Moyo said workers were naturally displeased with the salary disparities.
"We are own enemies because whilst we say we don't have money to invest, to pay workers or recapitalise, we continue to pay our executives huge salaries and allowances at the expense of our economy.
"One of the ways we can resuscitate the economy is by looking at various companies' salary structures, especially the executives' salaries and perks. Companies should forgo these salaries and use them for re-capitalisation, to buy new equipment and minimise retrenchments. This will go a long way in reviving the economy."
Employers' Confederation of Zimbabwe executive director Mr John Mufukare, however, dismissed the figures in the IPC survey saying they were at odds with the situation on the ground.
"I think those figures are too generalised. They do not really reflect what is happening in the workplace. In the private sector, there are a few who earn US$15 000.
''I think in order to come up with more accurate figures, it is better to look at specific sectors rather than from a holistic point of view."
And while the formally employed sing the blues, the informal sector is growing and the World Bank estimates that those engaged in such activities are holding onto US$7 billion.
This has prompted Government to both promote the sector as well as seek to formalise it so that tax revenues can be accrued therefrom.
In November 2014, the EU opened channels of co-operation with Harare following the lapse of "restrictive measures" under Article 96 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, but retained sanctions on the First Family and Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
The sanctions on President Mugabe, First Lady Grace Mugabe and ZDI were to lapse on February 20, 2015 and documents posted on the FCO website show there was reluctance to extend them.
However, the British political establishment scrambled to push other EU members to keep the embargo, and the FCO was furious with British Minister of Europe David Liddington for "sleeping on the job".
An FCO report says the British government lobbied "at the highest level" - and without following its own procedures with regards to how the parliamentary scrutiny committee formulates policy positions.
Mr Liddington responded saying he did all he could to get those opposed to the sanctions to toe Britain's line.
The FCO says, "In terms of timing, the minister (Liddington) says that discussions among member states had to await a report from EU heads of mission in Harare, which was only finalised on 10 January because of the need to take account of Zanu-PF's party congress in December and the average earnings of ordinary workers range between US$250 and US$280, but the figures show a marked decline when one factors in the agriculture sector, where the lowest paid earn between US$65 and US$70 per month.
The banking and telecommunications sectors pay their ordinary employees salaries of around U$500.
IPC managing consultant Mr Memory Nguwi told The Sunday Mail that the widening salary gap was attributable to results-based management, which companies are increasingly adopting.
"The majority of employees earn less because their salaries are regulated by the national employment council (for their sector). Even if the organisation wants to increase the salaries for them, they will be penalised by the NEC," he said.
"The top executives are highly paid because they do most of the problem-solving for the organisation and they will be more educated. As a result, organisations invest in them because they are not easily replaceable.
Mr Nguwi advocated a "back to basics" model to address salary disputes in an environment of limited production and liquidity.
"Companies must prioritise productivity, then satisfy the workers' needs and not the other way around. Right now, some companies that are still open are only in survival mode," he said.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Mr Japhet Moyo said workers were naturally displeased with the salary disparities.
"We are own enemies because whilst we say we don't have money to invest, to pay workers or recapitalise, we continue to pay our executives huge salaries and allowances at the expense of our economy.
"One of the ways we can resuscitate the economy is by looking at various companies' salary structures, especially the executives' salaries and perks. Companies should forgo these salaries and use them for re-capitalisation, to buy new equipment and minimise retrenchments. This will go a long way in reviving the economy."
Employers' Confederation of Zimbabwe executive director Mr John Mufukare, however, dismissed the figures in the IPC survey saying they were at odds with the situation on the ground.
"I think those figures are too generalised. They do not really reflect what is happening in the workplace. In the private sector, there are a few who earn US$15 000.
''I think in order to come up with more accurate figures, it is better to look at specific sectors rather than from a holistic point of view."
And while the formally employed sing the blues, the informal sector is growing and the World Bank estimates that those engaged in such activities are holding onto US$7 billion.
This has prompted Government to both promote the sector as well as seek to formalise it so that tax revenues can be accrued therefrom.
Source - sundaymail
