Civil servants' bonuses to be paid 100 percent in forex

CIVIL servants will this year be paid 100 percent of their annual bonus in foreign currency but the payment will be spread over two months starting this month.

Fifty percent of the bonuses will be paid this month and the remaining 50 percent will be paid in December.

Last year civil servants were paid bonuses in foreign currency up to a maximum of US$700 while pensioners were paid US$100.

All workers from deputy director and below will be paid 100 percent bonus in foreign currency while payment of bonuses for directors and above will be performance-based.

This emerged yesterday following a meeting between the Government and civil servants' representative body to address issues relating to the workers' welfare.

The meeting resolved that bonuses will be paid in foreign currency in two batches in November and December.

It was also agreed that Government will pay school fees allowances for teachers' children in advance while negotiations are ongoing to review the amounts.

In an interview yesterday, the president of the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions, the civil servants unions umbrella body, Mrs Cecilia Alexander said workers were impressed by the Government's efforts to address their welfare issues.

She said under the Second Republic, there has been a shift in what was perceived to be discrimination within the public sector.

"Now there is equal treatment unlike in the past when some Government workers were getting preferential treatment. Now everybody will get their bonus starting this month. The payments have been staggered, which means we will be paid 50 percent in November and the other 50 percent in December, which is a welcome development," she said.

 Mrs Alexander said Government was paying all civil servants from deputy director and below 100 percent bonus in forex staggered over two months.

"This is what we were clamouring for and we hope Government will make provisions to cushion us in the 2023 national budget," she said.

Mrs Alexander said the issue of performance-based bonus payment was explained at the meeting and the position is very clear now.

"Deputy directors and below will be paid 100 percent bonus in foreign currency while bonuses for  directors and above will be performance-based," she said.

Government introduced performance-based contracts for Cabinet Ministers, permanent secretaries, directors and other heads of public entities including local authority chief executive officers and town clerks to promote accountability.

Mrs Alexander said civil servants acknowledge Government interventions meant to restore the value of the local currency.

Government is paying all civil servants US$200 allowance a month to cushion them against inflation .

Mrs Alexander said the new arrangement regarding the payment of fees was that instead of Government paying the fees direct to schools, it will deposit the money in the accounts of qualifying teachers.

Government introduced the school fees allowance for teachers' children in February this year and has been paying fees for up to three biological children of each beneficiary. Each child was being paid a maximum of $20 000 per term.

Mrs Alexander said the union was lobbying Government to index the fees allowance against the US dollar.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima is on record saying the Government is committed to improving the welfare of its employees.