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Minister Mupfumira

Felex Share Senior Reporter—

Civil servants yesterday called on Government to mobilise enough resources and pay them their December salaries on time to enjoy a “decent” Christmas holiday.This comes as Government yesterday released the November pay dates which will see the last batch of civil servants (grant-aided institutions) being paid on December 13.

Members of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe will be paid on Tuesday followed by the health sector next Thursday.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services will be paid on November 29 while teachers and the rest of the civil service will get their dues on December 2 and 6 respectively.

Pensioners will be paid on December 9.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira said payments for the December 2016 salaries would be announced in due course, taking into account revenue inflows.

“Government wants the best for its workers and we are doing all we can to ensure that once our revenue inflows pick up we return to the normal situation where one is paid within the month worked,” she said.

“Government is operating on a shoe-string budget and at the moment, I am in the process of organising a meeting with Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa to work on the modalities of the payment of bonuses.

“We cannot afford a once off payment and Treasury will advise on how best we will handle the situation. We value the contribution and the importance of our workers and Government will not renegade on promises made. Civil servants are a constituency that is in President Mugabe’s mind and we are working hard to fulfil whatever the workers were promised.”

Minister Mupfumira said Government would continue engaging the workers “to give them updates of what will be happening until their conditions of service improve”.

Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander said while the workers understood the economic problems facing the country, they expected their December salaries on time for the festive season.

“The sectors which are getting paid in the following month are deeply concerned by the fact that their monthly financial cycle has remained affected due to late payments of loans resulting in them accruing higher interests,” she said.

“It is our hope that in December, those affected will join others in Canaan by being paid before Christmas to allow them to at least have a decent Christmas with their families, which is a special time of the year.

“On bonus, Government has indicated that they are working on strategies of paying bonus and as soon as Treasury gets fiscal space they would start paying bonuses and as workers we have no problem with that. We want to sincerely appreciate President Mugabe for always being sensitive to the plight of civil servants.”

President Mugabe assured that despite the low revenue inflows, Government would still pay its workers the 13th cheque as per tradition.

Government has been regularly engaging its workers to update them on issues affecting them such as ongoing civil service rationalisation exercise, the impending introduction of bond notes, the shift in pay dates as well as pensions and medical aid benefits.

This week, the employer intensified efforts to provide housing to the civil servants, ordering them to submit names of those interested in benefiting from a Government residential stands scheme being worked on.

More than 113 000 workers have so far registered for the scheme.