Most civil servants are this year faced with a bleak Christmas following an announcement by the government that their pay day has been shifted to well after Christmas Day.
Raymond Majongwe, general secretary of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, said they have been informed that teachers will get their December salaries, without bonuses, next Monday.
Uniformed forces got their salaries before Christmas but without the traditional bonuses, awarded annually to boost the morale of workers.
Majongwe said they were not even sure whether they will get their salaries next week as promised.
“That is bothering us much because we have a government that has become so insensitive that they cannot give us a chance to celebrate with our families just for a day ... We are forced to get our money on the 28th,” said Majongwe.
Civil servants are normally paid before Christmas Day in Zimbabwe.
He said it is uncertain when they are likely to be given bonuses.
The government has been struggling to find money to pay its bloated workforce due to the current harsh economic environment in the country.
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Interview With Raymond Majongwe