The Zimbabwe government has hiked the wages of most workers, a newspaper reported on Friday, as a national strike over fuel prices appeared to be holding for a third day.
Most shops in Harare’s central business district were closed Friday, but some small businesses were open. Banks were closed, and hundreds of people queued outside to withdraw money from automatic teller machines.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which is the country’s largest union representing some 250 000 workers, called a strike beginning Wednesday over last week’s tripling of petrol prices.
It said the fuel price hikes meant that urban workers, who are already battling food shortages and inflation of 228%, would have to spend most of their salaries on transport to get them to and from work.
The ZCTU has demanded that the government reverse the fuel price hike or face an indefinite job stayaway.
Meanwhile, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, who chairs a forum grouping labour, business and government that has been discussing wage rises, on Thursday announced salary increases aimed at cushioning the blow of the fuel price hikes for workers, the state-run Herald newspaper reported.
Wages of agricultural workers have more than tripled, rising to 23 070 Zimbabwe dollars ($28), the Herald reported.
Previously farmers paid their workers wages of between 4 300 (five dollars) and 7 500 Zimbabwe dollars (nine dollars), a farming official told AFP.
In an apparent attempt to avert further strike action called by the ZCTU, the government also significantly increased the wages of workers in horticulture, industry and commerce.
The government has promised to also raise the wages of domestic workers. It said the wage increases had been decided on by the TNF.
”Negotiations to implement the new wages will begin soon,” the Herald reported.
The first two days of the ZCTU-called strike were widely followed, with the union claiming that 90% of the country’s 600 000 labour force stayed at home.
The government has disputed the figure, saying most shops and businesses have stayed open in the country.
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo threatened that criminal proceedings would be taken against employers that have ”illegally locked out workers”, the Herald reported.
”Professor Moyo said the sections of POSA (Public Order and Security Act) and the Labour Relations Act would be applied vigorously on the leaders and organisations of the illegal stayaway,” the paper said.
The private Daily News claimed that soldiers and police had forced shops to open on Thursday in the southern city of Masvingo.
This month’s strike follows a two-day stayaway called by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) last month.
The opposition party, which has backed the ZCTU-led strike, has threatened more mass action of its own. – Sapa