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Minister Prisca Mupfumira

Government has made an undertaking to pay its workers the 2016 bonuses. There is no reason to doubt Government’s commitment to honouring this obligation given that over the years it has paid the civil servants the 13th cheque which is part of their conditions of service.

It is a fact that many companies long stopped paying bonuses because the economy is underperforming. Companies have been able to forgo this luxury because at most companies a bonus is not part of the conditions of service but just a “thank you” paid to workers for a good performance.

In 2015 Government was forced to stagger the payment of bonuses because of cash-flow challenges resulting in some civil servants being paid their 2015 bonuses mid last year. The situation has not changed much and as such Government is likely to stagger the payment of the 2016 bonuses given the fact that more than 80 percent of its monthly revenue is gobbled by salaries.

Government has since last year held several meetings with the workers’ representatives with a view to coming up with the best way of addressing the issue of bonus payment. The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Cde Prisca Mupfumira, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Cde Patrick Chinamasa and the Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya have been meeting the workers’ representatives to explain challenges Government is facing as a result of reduced revenue inflows into its coffers.

It is because of this realisation that Government tabled three options of paying bonuses which are the residential stands, cash stipend coupled with non-monetary benefits and property investment bonds. After the engagement meeting between Government and workers’ representatives on January 25, workers’ representatives said they wanted to consult their constituencies regarding the new Government offer on bonuses.

Government was therefore taken aback on Monday when civil servants unions under the banner of Apex Council announced that they want to hold a demonstration over delays in paying bonuses. Following this announcement, nurses at some Government hospitals on Tuesday downed tools demanding that Government should announce the dates for the payment of bonuses.

Minister Mupfumira has once again said Government is committed to paying the promised bonuses and was more than ready to meet the workers representatives next Monday as scheduled. We want at this juncture to appeal to workers to give dialogue a chance as stated by Minister Mupfumira.

Industrial action is not the solution to the problem at hand but instead it will worsen the situation.

Civil servants, we want to believe, are aware of the cash-flow challenges facing Government and taking industrial action will therefore be irresponsible on their part. The workers’ representatives should seriously consider the non-monetary benefits as opposed to insisting on cash which Government does not have.