Zimbabwe Increases Civil Servants' Salaries With Lowest Paid Set to Earn ZWL11,300 Per MonthZimbabwe says the lowest paid civil servant will with immediate effect get Z$11,350 (US$151) per month at a time 100,000 teachers, currently boycotting classes, are demanding salaries of up to US$520. In a statement, the Public Service Commission (PSC) said the lowest paid school teacher will receive 12,591 (US$168) per month. The PSC said, “The Public Service Commission is pleased to advise government workers that the USD75 COVID allowance for September 2020 is being paid today. Going forward, the USD COVID allowance will be paid on pay days. This effectively means that the least paid worker (B1) is now earning ZWL11,350.15 monthly, while a teacher at entry grade (D1) earns a total ZWL12,591.15. The USD$75 allowance is indexed to the prevailing RBZ (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe) exchange auction.” Most civil servants were getting less than ZWL8,000 per month in a nation the poverty datum line has now been pegged at ZWL22,000 by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, for a family of six living in an urban setup. Reacting to the salary increases, Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive, Sifiso Ndlovu, said indications are that the wage hikes were part of what was rejected in the National Joint Negotiating Forum. “ZIMTA can neither confirm nor disavow the authenticity of the statement. However, we see the statement as a public posture by the author, with an intention to refute and disclaim the earnings of educators. The statement does not reflect any new developments but confirms the disputed 40% offer tabled at the last NJNC meeting. “Thus a careful reading of the sum earnings indicates that it is a total of one’s September salary + Rejected 40% offer + USD 75 COVI-19 allowance at auction rate.”