CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
Chief Justice Luke Malaba has appealed to government to adequately remunerate government workers in the judicial sector to reduce the temptation of corrupt practices and refrain from participating in job action.
Chief Justice Malaba said the government had reviewed the judicial staff allowances and salaries in the past year as the existing salaries were no longer adequate to even sustain the employees transport costs to and from work for a month.
“Conditions of service for members of staff are a sensitive area because a demotivated workforce will not produce desired results. Salaries of judicial officers remain divorced from the reality of the importance of the judicial functions they perform,” Malaba said as he opened the 2020 legal calendar in Harare this week.
“Efforts to fight corruption must be complemented by awarding judicial officers and their support staff a living wage to prevent them from being tempted into accepting bribes or other undue considerations.
Malaba’s calls are coming at a time when labour unions – the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and Apex Council are bracing for a massive showdown with the government.
The unions are advocating a shut down in the coming week as they push for improved salaries and better living conditions.
This also comes at a time when the economy is buffeted by challenges such as fuel and electricity shortages and a severe crunch.
Rising prices have eroded the purchasing power of the local currency. Workers’ salaries are being constantly being eroded by inflation which is at around 500%.
Malaba said the government had to consider reviewing the salaries and wages of the judicial workers in line with the inflationary pressures.
“I wish to take this opportunity to implore government to continually review the earnings in tandem with the rising cost of living,” Malaba said.
Civil servants through the works representative body, the Apex Council, last week rejected a 97% salary that would have seen the lowest paid government worker getting ZWL$ 2 033 up from ZWL$ 1 000 per month.
Apex Council is a representative body of 230 000 government workers.
Civil servants now want the lowest paid to be remunerated US$475 equivalent at the prevailing intermarket bank rate. The bread basket for a family of six is now pegged at ZWL$4 000 per month.
