'No attendance, no pay for civil servants'

Civil servants will be paid only for the days they work and the days they have been officially excused from duty, but will not be paid for the days they take off without permission, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has said.

The Government will pay civil servants strictly on attendance or approved leave and ministries have been ordered to pass on their attendance registers to the Salary Services Bureau (SSB) with attendance and absenteeism recorded. PSC secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe made the announcement in a statement last night.

This follows reports of non-attendance by a minority of civil servants using the excuse of incapacitation.  

Most are teachers under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, although a large majority of teachers are at work or on approved leave and so will not be affected.

"The Salary Services Bureau has been instructed to process salary payments for civil servants strictly on the basis of work attendance registers submitted by Government Ministries and Departments. Ministries will indicate cases where personnel have been officially excused from duty to ensure the inclusion of such personnel on the payroll," said Ambassador Wutawunashe.

"Government commends the majority of civil servants for continuing to serve the public with dedication and commitment."

President Mnangagwa is on record saying the Government will not be held to ransom by strikers, saying those reporting for duty will be the only ones who will get paid. It is standard practice around the world that no one is paid while on strike, regardless of whether a strike is legal or illegal, official or unofficial.  

A legal strike does not mean there can be salary payment, only that no disciplinary action can be taken. Schools reopened in batches, with the first lot of examination classes reporting early on August 30 while the rest of the learners started on September 6. Despite the long break for almost all teachers required by Covid-19 containment measures, and the fact that the majority of teachers did report for duty, some have continued not reporting for duty.
 
This week, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mrs Tumisang Thabela said during the first week of classes, less than 30 percent did not report for duty.

Mrs Thabela said teachers were attending classes across the country, with their daily attendance register for the previous week showing more than 70 percent attendance.

"There are one or two provinces where it is still depressed, but generally we have over 70 percent attendance," she said.