Protest as Mugabe, PM Increase Their Salaries

By Eric Sande

Harare, Zimbabwe----Civil servants across Zimbabwe took to the streets to express their anger  over their President Robert Mugabe after he secretly increased his salary from US$400 to US$1,750 a month, besides unspecified allowances. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had his salary increased to US$1650. The civil servants  were previously denied their wage hike which were due this year.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), a powerful labour force that represent s the majority in Zimbabwe , sent clear signals of a possible crippling strike since the round table collective bargains talks collapsed across all sectors.Workers with an average pay of US$160 a month, have also issued a 30-day notice to go on strike.

Wellington Chibebe, ZCTU secretary-general said,  “It is unfortunate that even government is not doing much in terms of addressing workers' concerns, not only at Air Zimbabwe, but even with the public service workers,” “Workers are firing warning shots and government should take heed. There is simmering unrest that if not addressed will spread nationwide”, he added.

The government states that the recovering economy of Zimbabwe’s from almost a decade of uninterrupted collapse, cannot afford a wage increase for civil servants in the near future.

The economic recovery in Zimbabwe has been slow because of the recurrent wrangle that has snagged the coalition principles President Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvaringirai since last year.