By Own Correspondent

A crippling industrial action is hovering above the Harare City Council over unpaid salaries and low ZWG payments.

The developments have seen the local authority’s top management initiating marathon meetings to ease possible mayhem looming in the sector.

Indications are that the workers have not been paid for two months, and the council has failed to honour its promise to pay them on time.

Their situation has been worsened by the ongoing economic difficulties, which have significantly eroded the value of their yet-to-be-paid salaries due to inflation.

In a letter addressed to HCC’s senior officials, the Zimbabwe Municipalities Nurses and Allied Workers Union (ZIMNAWU) president Simbarashe Tafirenyika expressed concerns over the council’s delays in paying its workers, which has led to severe financial strain.

“This unacceptable situation has drastically impacted workers’ livelihoods, working conditions, and overall well-being. The delay in salary payments has caused financial hardship and discontent, as salaries are being eroded by inflation.

“This has left our members incapacitated, which in turn affects service delivery. We urge the City of Harare to address these delays and ensure that workers are paid on time. Please note that employees have not been paid for December 2024 or January 2025, and February is already approaching.

“According to Statutory Instrument 13 of 2015, workers should be paid by the 28th of each month. We urge your office not to stagger salary payments and to pay all workers at once, as the current situation is causing disharmony in the workforce due to the instability of our local currency,” read the letter.

 “This decision is meant to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of our employees, who can no longer afford to work under conditions that compromise their dignity and well-being,” the letter concluded.

However, highly placed sources at the local authority said the management has since swiftly moved in to avert the crisis with negotiations currently underway to neutralize the impending crisis.