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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
AS workers observed Workers’ Day Holiday yesterday, the situation was gloomy for those in the tourism industry after they failed to agree on any terms during salary negotiations last week. The negotiations that the National Employment Council for the tourism industry had organised last week in Harare yielded no results and both parties hit a stalemate.

A re-run of the negotiations has been pencilled for next week.

Tour and safari operators had proposed reducing workers’ salaries citing weak performance by the industry and later changed and pushed for no increase. Workers on the other hand are pushing for an 80 percent increment claiming they last had a pay rise in 2012.

Nothing was agreed on last week and the two parties will reconvene on May 7. Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operators (EATSO) president, Clement Mukwasi, who represents the NEC, said another round of talks has been set for next week.

“We reached a stalemate and we’ll meet again. After initial meeting the employer finally reviewed its position of cutting salaries. Our new position is now zero increment,” said Mukwasi.

The operators have highlighted a subdued performance in the industry saying any salary hike was ridiculous. Workers want an adjustment of their housing and transport allowances that are pegged at $47 and $37 respectively.

Their biggest undoing is that they are divided into two splinter unions — the National Museums and Monuments Travel, Tourism and Game Parks (NMMTTGP) and the Zimbabwe Tourism Allied Workers Unions (ZTAWU), which are fighting for recognition in the negotiations.

Both have to provide a combined 12 members to negotiate with the employer but each accuses the other of being bogus. Edward Dzapasi from the NMMTTGP has been representing workers while a number of players have been roped in as well.

The tourism sector has been subdued because of a decrease in tourist arrivals, and this is further compounded by a 15 percent VAT on accommodation, which makes the country an expensive destination.

About 90 percent of workers in the sector are on contract and the lowest salary is pegged at $200 per month without other benefits.