FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti has been forced to break his pledge to freeze government recruitment after Education Minister David Coltart and his Public Service counterpart Elphas Mukonoweshuro complained the move was crippling their departments.
Biti announced an indefinite civil service wage cap in April while also ordering a freeze on all new recruitments for “non-critical” vacant posts.
Several government departments were forced to shed non-permanent jobs, with the Education Ministry letting go of 20,000 temporary teachers -- 4,000 of them in Matabeleland North Province alone.
Education Minister David Coltart said Wednesday he had “highlighted the difficulties that had been caused by the decision” which also prevented his department from hiring new graduates and returning teachers who had quit.
Coltart said: “We bilaterally approached the Minister of Finance with the Minister of Public Service and highlighted the difficulties that had been caused by the decision to stop hiring temporary and other teachers.
“It was then resolved that they should be re-engaged with effect from September 17.”
Coltart said temporary teachers were a vital cog in the country’s education system, adding: “They fill vacancies when experienced staff go on leave. They also take up posts in remote areas that are normally shunned by trained teachers.
“Besides, the country is facing an acute shortage of qualified teachers.”
Biti, struggling to rein-in government expenditure to balance with low receipts for the weak economy, targeted the civil service wage bill which was US$913 million in 2009.
“Normal economics demand that only 30 percent of the budget be channelled to salaries as per the World Bank standards. We are outperforming World Bank countries that have a much higher level of domestic product,” Biti said in April.
But his move to freeze the wage bill put him on a collision course with unions. He soon found himself isolated as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Mukonoweshuro insisted a wage freeze was not government policy – although no pay increases have been announced since amid strike threats by unions.
Government employees earn between US$150-250 a month, but are demanding US$500-600 a month. They have threatened strikes in October – one month before the 2011 budget announcement -- if their demands are not met.