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John Manzongo At the Workplace
Revelations of salaries amounting to over US$230 000 come out as one the greatest scandals ever witnessed in our country. I am sure this is just a tip of the iceberg. A few months back the nation woke up to shocking news that ZBC CEO Happison Muchechetere was earning almost US$40 000 monthly.

It is necessary to dwell on this issue since workers’ contributions are being grossly misused. Medical aid contributions are being plucked out of the workers’ paltry salaries with the aim of cushioning them when they get sick and not to upgrade some CEO’s lavish lifestyle.
Surely the level of reasoning by boards in many parastatals has gone wayward.

Poor workers are contributing their hard earned cash to get medical assistance whenever it is needed. Shockingly, the person who is supposed to manage the fund (where he did not contribute a cent) is being paid a whopping US$230 000.

It seems to me like some kind of gratuity, although I do not know for what. I do not even think President Mugabe is earning such an amount yet he is the highest authority in the land.

As a nation we really need to shame such unscrupulous board members who approve outrageous salaries for chief executive officers and their directors.

If PSMAS was a profit making organisation, I would not have a problem with that salary because it will be based on performance.
I applaud the parliamentary portfolio committee on health which recommended that the PSMAS CEO be prosecuted rather than just forcing him to resign.

I support their point because these are public funds that have been abused.
Civil servants were awarded a US$54 increase yet there are reports that PSMAS medical aid subscriptions were increased to as much as US$30, meaning the civil servants contributing to the scheme will only enjoy US$20 while the rest is being chewed by heartless executives.

The medical aid society is now rejected by most service providers except at clinics and hospitals it owns. The scheme is not settling debts because the money was being pocketed by Dube and his colleagues. Dube is the same individual who on many occasions boasted single-handedly funding our Warriors.

There has been serious violation of workers’ rights here for without sound health there can be no worker.
Surely being a worker should not be a  curse when your medical aid contribution is being abused, you fail again to get treatment at your hospital of choice and are forced to go where service is overcrowded and usually slow.

Workers are pinning their hopes on Government who they hope will not turn a blind eye to this madness.
There is also talk about including some civil servants who are the contributors on the PSMAS board. While this seems a noble idea, I am not sure if it will work and if those seconded will diligently serve with a true heart or they will just join the band wagon of corruption.
I am not sure how other medical aid funds are managed but in my opinion they need ethical and responsible people.

Some companies own medical aid schemes where they deduct money from workers and I have seen this work in private sector. What about civil servants whose various organisations rely on State coffers?

I have also seen this happening in other medical aid societies where workers contribute their hard earned cash and the fund managers are busy enriching themselves. Contributors just get a t-shirt and diary come year end.

In some unions, I observed the leadership now live like kings, their offices have top of the range furniture, full bouquet DStv subscription, air conditioned, double door refrigerators.

They also drive around in expensive cars while the ordinary worker who is sustaining such luxuries is living in abject poverty.
It seems to me this business of representing workers has been converted into a money making venture.

This sometimes has led to situations where whenever they are negotiating on behalf of workers they end up scuttling potential lucrative salary deals which benefit workers simply because of their greediness.

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