Workers demand to meet Mnangagwa over US$150 minimum

By James Mutasa

The lack of political will by government to gazette the USD150-00 per month minimum wage has riled workers who are now demanding an urgent meeting with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The ZCTU and ZFTU, in a joint letter addressed to the Minister of Labour Paul Mavima expressed their dismay over delays by government to regularize the minimum wage saying social partners agreed that the minimum wage was to be gazetted but government had not done so.  

The labour leaders told Mavima that workers were disturbed by delays in gazetting the minimum wage and were likely to take matters into their own hands.

“On behalf of organized labour, we bring to your attention outstanding issues that have not been resolved after our last TNF meeting where we agreed that every worker must be paid at least US$150 per month. We are particularly unhappy that you have literary refused to gazette the agreed amount as a minimum wage and instead prefer to call it a guideline despite the fact that we agreed at TNF that it is in fact a minimum wage. Comrade Minister, workers out there are highly agitated and they might be forced to take the law into their own hands as the cost of living continues to spiral. We demand that you convene an urgent TNF meeting and arrange another meeting of organized labour with President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” they said.

Government contends that the USD 150-00 was a recommendation.