Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
THE National Employment Council (NEC) for the tourism industry will not increase salaries for its workers with only employees in Sector 2 getting a $3 increment in housing allowance. Sector 2 involves those in the hunting sector. The protracted negotiations were held last week pitting the Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operators (EATSO) and the National Museums and Monuments Travel, Tourism and Game Parks (NMMTTGP).
This has widened the rift as the other union – the Zimbabwe Tourism Allied Workers Unions (ZTAWU) allege they were sidelined in the talks and as such do not recognise the outcome. The other party is the Boating Association of Zimbabwe.
“We’ve concluded the wage negotiations for all sectors in the tourism industry for 2016. We proposed to move our position offering to increase the housing allowance in Sector II up to $50 and no increment on all other sectors and wages,” said Clement Mukwasi, EATSO president.
Workers initially wanted an 80 percent increment claiming they last had a pay rise in 2012 and the figure reduced to 15 percent on basic wages and increment of the housing allowance up to $195.00. Mukwasi said the request was unjustifiable and unviable as the increase would result in more retrenchments and possible closure of businesses.
“Taking cognisance of the massive pressure on Sector II to increase its minimums and move closer to Sectors I and IB, the negative pressure being received by government on the low wages in the sector, we counter offered a 1.5 percent increase on all grades in Sector II and increase the housing allowance to $50 in Sector II and no movement in the other sectors,” he said.
“As employers representatives we believe our settled position will safeguard the industry from further demise as the 1.5 percent increase is an affordable amount taking into consideration that nearly all those in Sector II provide accommodation to their employees.
“Furthermore, a zero percent increase for all those in Sectors 1 and 1B we are confident this will be received well by our members.” Housing allowance was pegged at $47 per month. All other allowances remain as they are for all sectors.
Struggling companies are allowed to apply for exemption in terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. NMMTTGP representative Edward Dzapasi said workers were not happy with the decision but understood that their employers are struggling.
“We were awarded a 1.5 percent increase for Sector 2 on the housing allowance to make it $50 and no increment on all other sectors because companies are applying for exemption. We’re not happy because we are struggling as employees but we really need to consider our jobs since some companies are struggling,” said Dzapasi.
However, Peniel Chinoda, the national organising secretary for ZTAWU, said the negotiations were flawed and his union would not append the outcome.
“We feel we’re being elbowed out and sidelined as the meeting was sanctioned by one party and no minutes have been availed to us. We suspect the NEC and our employers are doing things clandestinely because we received an invite that had no time and venue and we believe that was deliberate,” he said.
Chinoda said as a way forward, they were writing a letter of complaint to the NEC calling for a merger of the two unions.
“There were no consultations and we never gave our position on the negotiations. We haven’t decided whether to sign the document or not but we’re writing a letter of complaint to the NEC, which we want dissolved while the two unions should combine. We need registered of members for both unions to clarify issues,” he said.
The sector has been subdued because of a decrease in tourist arrivals and this is further compounded by a 15 percent VAT on accommodation, which makes the country an expensive destination. About 90 percent of workers in the sector are on contract and the lowest salary is pegged at $200 per month without other benefits.