Staff writer
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has called on government to address fundamental welfare challenges facing employees so that it becomes attractive to retire.
In a statement, ZCTU acting Secretary General, Runesu Dzimiri said:
“The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions would like to express its reservations over the extension of the retirement age for civil servants and unifomed forces by the government nothing that the move is not adequate to adress issues effecting its employees and pensioners.”
He added:
“Civil servants and pensioners are plagued with serious welfare challenges arising from poor remuneration and working conditions that are pauperising them to the extent that they involuntarily find it reasonable to work forever instead of resting and enjoying their old age.
“The government needs to address fundamental welfare challenges affecting its employees so that it becomes attractive to retire.”
Dzimiri said ZCTU was not amused that government chose to came up with retirement age extension without adequate consultation.
“The ZCTU finds it outrageous for the government to, without adequate consultation resort to self help antics to avoid meeting and improving its obligations to employees and pensioners.
While noting that it is optional for one to extend to the new age limits, the option must not be driven by desperation and fear of poverty after retirement owing to poor pensions.
“The government must pay above Poverty Datum Line salaries so that a worker can be at liberty to continue working or proceed on retirement without reservations.”
ZCTU called on government to formulate ways of employing youths and university graduates instead of stifling their employment chances.
“Government policy need to unlock employment opportunities for thousands of youths graduating from universities, polytechnics and vocational training institutions instead of shutting out of employment.
“The move entails a five year ‘freeze’ or insignificant payment of pension gratuity with government saving millions of dollars.
The move may also disadvantage some workers who may die before the age of 70 as their benefits would be significantly reduced. ”
The ZCTU urged the government to revist the move and improve pensioners benefits and welfare.
“The ZCTU calls upon the government to revisit the reform, respect senior citizens and focus on tenets that bring direct and improved benefits to its employees and pensioners instead of crafting ‘slave ‘ policies to wriggle itself out of its responsibilities. ”
Government recently extended the retirement age of civil servants and members of the armed forces to 70 years.