$36m civil servants deductions remitted

sifiso ndlovuPamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE government yesterday released $36 million it owes various civil servants’ unions, medical aid societies and individuals for the month of February 2015. Thousands of women with maintenance garnishee orders deducted from civil servants salaries had not yet accessed last month’s payments.

Some of the women registered their displeasure at the Maintenance Court in Bulawayo last week, saying the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) made February deductions from civil servants’ accounts, yet no money was deposited into the recipients’ accounts.

Unions representing government workers had been demanding the payment of dues deducted from their members, saying the non-payment of the contributions was crippling their operations.

The government owed the unions more than $1, 5 million.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu confirmed the payments, saying the government had not remitted their members’ contributions until yesterday afternoon.

The association has more than 44,000 members who each contribute $10 every month.

“The government owed all the unions $1, 5 million while corporate, medical aid societies and individuals were owed about $34, 5 million.

“Our members of staff are paid when we receive the contributions and the same money is used to run the association. The government has since remitted the dues for February but the delay has seriously affected our operations and inconvenienced the members of staff,” said Ndlovu.

He added that the delay had also disrupted construction projects that are paid through the contributions by the members of the association.

The Public Service Association (PSA) acting executive secretary Jeremiah Dzirindi said the delay had also disturbed operations at his association.

He said the association, which has 9, 500 members paying $7,50 each per month, struggled to pay its workers.

“We were working hand in hand with other unions to push the government to remit the contributions. We’re glad that the money has finally been deposited into the unions’ accounts although the delay inconvenienced our members of staff,” said Dzirindi.

Apex Council president, Richard Gundane urged the government to honour its statutory obligation to pay the civil servants on time and in full on agreed dates.

Gundane, who is also the Zimta president, said it was also important for the government to remit union subscriptions and loan repayments to avoid inconveniencing its workers.

“Such action from government is unlawful and has fatal consequences on the employees’ welfare as well as their survival.

“The delays make the workers fail to access certain services which rely on the remittance or payment of monthly dues to relevant service providers,” said Gundane.

He added: “Non remittance of union dues is a blatant attack on the right to organise as well as freedom of association which are enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe as well as in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions on Freedom of Association and protection of the right to organise.”

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