HARARE City Council (HCC) employees, who have gone for more than three months without getting their United States dollars salary component, are up against their employer who reportedly rejected their salary increment request.
Water and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe president Themba Musarurwa yesterday accused the HCC acting finance director Godfrey Kusangaya and acting human capital director Bozman Matengarufu of allegedly refusing to sign their collective bargaining agreement.
The workers are set to meet their employer again today to discuss the plight of the city employees.
NewsDay is in possession of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the workers and management dated October 11 this year.
“It is hereby agreed that the parties to the above bargaining agreement have entered into an agreement in accordance with the provisions with the Labour (Chapter 28:01 herein referred to the act between the Harare Municipality of the party and the Employ represented by the Municipal Workers Union of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Urban Council Workers Union and the Water and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Allied Municipalities Workers Union of the other part being parties to the Employment Council for the Harare Municipal undertaking,” reads the agreement.
“Parties hereby agreed as follows, to exempt the employer from paying in USD salary component (Nostro) for the period July to October 31, 2024. To pay a hardship allowance of 33% on the US$150 equivalent as at date of payment.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the formula for calculation of hardship allowance shall be 33% of US$150 salary component at bank rate on the date of payment,” the agreement read.
It further indicated that on expiry of this agreement on October 31 this year, the employer would revert to pay the US dollar salary nostro component in November while all arrears must be cleared by October 18.
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Musarurwa said the workers were only paid ZiG3 000 salaries which have been eroded by inflation.
“Most of the Harare City Council workers do not have accommodation, most the workers are lodgers and do not have money to travel to work.
“They do not have money to pay rentals, they do not have money to buy food or money to pay fees (after) they were given ZiG3 000 and this is when the exchange rate changed and the salaries were eroded,” he said.
“We went to a collective bargaining meeting and parties agreed for a 33% pay increase but Kusangaya and Matengarufu refused to sign the agreement which the Harare mayor Jacob Mafume had authorised.”
He said the workers had gone for more than three months without receiving salaries and would march to Town House to demonstrate against management.
Mafume yesterday said they have always put the plight of workers first.
“l am aware of the negotiations as Harare City Council we put the plight of our workers first and we are hoping to solve our problems,” he said.
