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Felex Share, Harare Bureau
THE Government is working on modalities to mobilise money to pay 2016 bonuses for civil servants following the rejection of a proposal to substitute bonuses with residential stands.

Civil servants declined a Government proposal to offer them residential stands in place of bonus, insisting on being paid in cash.

Our Harare Bureau has it on good authority that civil servants representatives, who met Government negotiators last week, declined the offer saying “it came too late when bonus was due.”

The workers said they would consider the stands proposal for the 2017 bonus.

This has forced the Government to go back to the drawing board and the Ministries of Finance and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare are now working on ways to see how the bonuses will be paid.

A highly placed Government source confirmed the development yesterday.

“We tabled that proposal during the National Joint Negotiating Council meeting held last week and the workers said for now they were expecting money in the bank not residential stands,” said the source.

“They said they would only consider that proposal next year and we had no option but to take back the matter to the Finance Ministry. The Ministry is now seized with the matter and is working in consultation with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to ensure what was promised is fulfilled.”

The Government recently introduced a residential stands scheme for civil servants as part of the employer’s non-monetary incentives to workers.

More than 121 000 civil servants have registered for the scheme, but the number is expected to balloon as the Government is taking on board every worker.

The implementation of the project is expected to begin next month.

Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecelia Alexander, yesterday said they had rejected the Government’s proposal to settle the 2016 bonuses with residential stands.

“After a national budget analysis, which indicated the heavy borrowing by Government, the Government negotiating team came and proposed that they pay the bonuses in kind that is through residential stands,” she said.

“The proposal came a bit late because bonuses are now due and the stands have not yet been serviced. The proposal is good in future when stands are ready to be allocated. For now the workers have rejected that proposal and demanded that the bonuses be paid in cash.”

The Government, which is yet to pay some civil servants their December salaries, has been facing challenges in mobilising money.

Sources said given the challenges, payment of the 2016 bonuses would be staggered as was the case last year.

Some workers got paid their 2015 bonuses mid this year.

President Mugabe has assured the workers that despite the low revenue inflows, the Government would still pay bonuses as per tradition.

The Government has been facing challenges in raising money to pay civil servants salaries and bonuses and proposals are being made to rationalise the workforce.

Meanwhile, teachers received their December salaries yesterday with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) fuming over the Government’s failure to pay the 2016 bonuses on time.

Teachers who constitute the biggest number of civil servants, said they expected to be paid their 13th cheque together with the December salaries.

Zimta president Mr Richard Gundane said teachers were very disappointed by the Government’s failure to pay them the promised bonuses this year.

“Teachers whose families didn’t enjoy Christmas this year, feel shortchanged by the Government’s failure to fulfil its promise to pay the bonuses,” he said.

Mr Gundane said the teachers’ morale was at its lowest ebb and there was a need by the Government to motivate its workers through fulfilling promises.

“The issue of bonus payment has to be addressed urgently to demonstrate that the Government is sensitive to the plight of its workers.

“It’s not in dispute that the said bonus is a right in this country. The Government has reaffirmed its position in previous engagements.

“It’s on record and it’s in the public domain. What becomes confusing is the lack of clarity on the implementation,” said Mr Gundane.