via Unpaid Harare City Council Workers Go on Strike by Jonga Kandemiiri 13.01.2014 VOAZimbabwe
Employees from the Harare City Council’s Water Department downed tools Monday demanding timely payments and improved working conditions.
The workers spent most of the day camped at the town house while their representatives were locked in meetings with city fathers.
A worker, who spoke with Studio 7 on condition he was not named, said some council employees have not been paid for more than two months now, adding working conditions are deteriorating everyday.
Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni confirmed the strike action but was quick to say the local authority is failing to pay its workers timely due the financial crisis partly caused by residents not paying their dues.
Meanwhile, the Bulawayo City Council has relaxed its water rationing schedule from 48 to 24 hours per week.
Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo told reporters that starting Monday the council will relax water rationing in anticipation of better inflows into city dams.
COMMENTS
Rubbish! The City of Harare pays it top directors salaries ranging from $15,000 to $18,000 per month excluding other benefits. Recently, the City bought a car worth $190,000 for the Town Clerk. And yet it can not pay its lowly paid workers. The MDC Council has to get serious. When Muchadeyi Masunda was Mayor, he resisted divulging these obscene salaries by the City of Harare top brass. He knew they were on a good wicket. How long can we go on like with people abusing the system like this.Don’t tell Chombo did not know about these salaries. At ZBC its the same, At PSMAS, Cuthbert Dube is known to get $250,000 per month, yes, the figure is right!!!. Don’t tell me that the gvt does not know about these shenanigans. Other parastals will reveal the same rot. Sadly and unfortunately the MDC is following in zanupf footsteps of plundering because we have not heard from it about these issues except maybe to defend Gono in court! Poor wananchi. We are not stupid!