Legislators
expressed
concern
over
the
growing
disconnect
between
wages
and
the
cost
of
living
during
Wednesday’s
parliamentary
question-and-answer
session,
where
they
pressed
the
government
to
explain
the
measures
authorities
were
taking
to
address
the
widening
gap
between
incomes
and
basic
needs.
Norton
MP
Richard
Tsvangirai
questioned
the
sustainability
of
current
wages,
noting
that
most
civil
servants
earn
below
US$300
against
a
poverty
datum
line
pegged
at
around
US$900.
“The
poverty
datum
line
in
Zimbabwe
is
US$900,
but
most
of
the
people,
especially
the
nurses,
teachers
and
civil
servants
are
paid
less
than
US$300.
What
measures
has
the
government
taken
to
make
sure
they
close
the
gap
between
the
poverty
datum
line
and
the
current
wages?”
he
asked.
Chiredzi
Central
MP,
Blessing
Makumire,
echoed
the
concerns,
highlighting
recent
industrial
action
by
nurses
who
say
their
earnings
are
no
longer
sufficient
to
meet
basic
needs.
“We
saw
nurses
in
government
institutions
going
on
strike
or
demonstrating
that
they
are
no
longer
able
to
buy
themselves
undergarments
or
go
to
work.
What
measures
have
been
put
in
place
to
ensure
that
those
striking
workers
who
were
demonstrating
about
the
low
wages
can
go
back
to
the
institutions
and
carry
out
their
work?”
he
said.
Responding
on
behalf
of
the
government,
acting
Leader
of
Government
Business,
Dr
Anxious
Masuka,
said
authorities
are
working
to
address
the
concerns
through
a
review
of
civil
service
salaries.
Dr
Masuka
indicated
the
Ministry
of
Public
Service,
Labour
and
Social
Welfare
had
been
tasked
with
assessing
whether
civil
servants
are
properly
graded
and
determining
appropriate
cost-of-living
adjustments.
“It
is
the
government’s
wish
that
its
workers
receive
decent
wages
that
can
look
after
their
families
or
high-end
salaries.
We
know
that
they
appeared
before
this
august
House
and
said
two
things
were
being
done,”
said
the
minister
of
agriculture.
“An
investigation
was
being
conducted
into
whether
civil
servants
are
properly
graded.
They
also
looked
at
how
much
more
would
be
given
as
a
cost-of-living
adjustment.
These
are
the
two
things
that
the
Minister
was
waiting
for.
This
has
now
been
done.
So
soon
we
will
hear
from
the
Minister
of
Public
Service,
Labour
and
Social
Welfare
what
the
government
workers
are
now
getting.”