By Staff Reporter
ZIBAGWE Rural District Councillors have trashed suggestions by management to effect a 110% salary hike for employees without approval from councillors.
Finance Committee Chairperson Rodgers Nhari quashed the idea of the salary increments from Zibagwe Chief Executive Officer Farayi Machaya who had sought council’s adoption of the employees’ salary increment which was already being implemented since October last year.
“We do not have the capacity to effect salary increments because we are getting very low revenue,” Nhari said.
“I raised the issue of having salary discrepancies in our committee meeting last year on why we have a discrepancy in salaries. That issue was to be resolved and here we are today being asked to adopt because it is from the National Employment Council,” said Nhari.
Nhari further blasted management for alleged mishandling of council affairs.
“What we are seeing here ladies and gentlemen is mismanagement by our managers. I am sure we are being misled pertaining this particular issue,” he said.
Machaya had told council that the salaries had been backdated last year August based on the National Employment Council agreement.
The agreement however, was not adopted by councillors.
“We are going to adopt this thing that has already been implemented; we are operating already on this issue. I feel misled because I chair the Committee of Finance and I do not know anything about it,” Nhari said.
Feeling the heat, Machaya opted for the withdrawal of the matter he had tabled.
“We did not impose it but we explained this issue; its however quite surprising and disheartening for that matter that you are saying you are not aware of it when its already written in your books,” he said.
In a heated exchange, Machaya said, “The council right now does not owe any employee salary backlog but you are saying the council has no capacity. If you feel that the percentage increase is not fair enough, you can remove it and then we pay back the money we have so far received,” he said, adding that they were mere employees.
