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WORKERS in the mining sector will get a 187.49 percent wage increase for the first quarter of 2020, which takes the salary for the lowest paid to $3 450, the industry trade union said yesterday.

Previously, the lowest paid was earning $1 200. 

The increment follows an agreement between the Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (AMWUZ) and the Chamber of Mines. AMWUZ president, Mr Tinago Ruzive said the hike only covered the period between January and March, 2020.

“The increase is based on the dollar value principle, for those mines that maybe paying above the minimum due to various reasons or merit,” Mr Ruzive said.

“No employee shall fail to get an increase. 

“We will engage the Chamber of Mines to negotiate the second quarter covering April to June  2020.”

The increase still falls short of the Poverty Datum Line, which stood at $4 188 at the end of December 2019. 

An unstable exchange rate and devaluing local currency has seen workers pushing for continuous salary reviews to match the ever-increasing prices of goods and services. 

The mining sector is the biggest foreign currency earner in the country and some mines have resorted to paying part of their workers’ salaries in hard currency to cushion them against exchange rate instabilities. — New Ziana