It’s all about dialogue, not confrontation
Any form of job action will not improve anything, but will just worsen our situation as a nation

Any form of job action will not improve anything, but will just worsen our situation as a nation

John Manzongo At the Workplace
For the past few weeks I have been talking about the need to decently reward workers – saying at least pay them a living wage. Today I will dwell on two topical issues that I feel are related. The first will be that of paying workers according to their level of education and seniority so as to promote efficiency, and the second is about a purportedly looming job action or strike.

At the beginning of this week, Government seems to have agreed to (of course, at the request of the civil servants) pay workers according to their qualifications and seniority on the job.

Government, for all I know, has been and continues to be used as a training ground by many workers who just join it for few years just to enhance their curriculum vitae as having worked for Government and leave for greener pastures.

The young come and join, leave early and those who formed the union still remain there. They start teaching and imparting their knowledge to new recruits again who soon leave for greener pastures. The seniors have been there, seen it all, they continue to be there yet there is nothing  to incentivise them.

I understand Government is working on modalities to ensure that workers in the public sector are paid according to their experience, seniority and qualifications. This, in my view and I guess in the views of progressive Zimbabweans, is the best way forward because knowledge is power.

Elders used to say experience is the best teacher, surely it is. The seniors at work have seen it all, endured all hardships and the few joys that have come their way.

Late December and early this month, universities were filled with teachers and other civil servants  furthering their education through the block release or visiting classes. The majority of those are learning so that they can switch to the private sector where they are rewarded according to their qualifications but if Government starts remunerating according to the level of education then we are going to have a highly educated and competent civil service.

Many civil servants are first degree holders who are just hanging on because there is nowhere else to go. They are earning salaries way below the Poverty Datum Line and can still afford to sacrifice it to seek more knowledge yet there is no financial reward for such.

As a country we were fast getting to a stage where people would say it is not worth to be a graduate because if you acquire it there is no incentive, yet is should be your key to greater heights. Government must really be applauded for at least starting to consider this seriously. We just hope this plan will not rot on the table after failing to be implemented.

Now coming to the issue of job actions, strikes or stayaways being talked about by trade unions and some opposition politicians. Let me remind them that our beloved country does not need such kind of misguided actions especially now. It is like we have an egg that we are nurturing and before it can hatch we are trying to break it.

Any form of job action will not improve anything but will just worsen our situation as a nation. Labour tripartite partners must keep the spirit of dialogue alive and let that be done in good faith without the other side wanting to benefit alone and the other feeling betrayed. We can never build or develop by being confrontational.

From my analysis as a country we are better off than many countries out there in terms of our economic performance. European countries, for instance, are struggling with the debt crisis that has seen them introducing austerity measures. The workers went out on the streets to demonstrate but up to now it has not solved anything, yet in here we can still afford to acquire many basic needs.

We might be of a different political ideology but we must know for a fact that we are Zimbabweans and this is the only country we have.

If we destroy it no one will rebuild it for us.

Dialogue must not end if it fails today, try tomorrow and keep knocking, some day something good will be offered. Surely, we cannot afford to return to the 2008 era just because we want to please a few opposition politicians. We need to work together in a fair manner and work to address our challenges.

Employers, however, must not take advantage of dialogue and continue to be intransigent.

 

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey