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White-collar jobs lose luster in Zimbabwe
Lee Shungu, The Zimbabwe Gazette
February 27, 2008

View story on The Zimbabwe Gazette website

Zimbabwe's white-collar jobs have fast become a mockery owing to the low salaries being paid by employers, as opposed to some blue-collar jobs, The Zimbabwe Gazette can reveal.

Many blue-collar workers have since overtaken white-collar workers in terms of salaries.

In a survey conducted, many professionals are going to work only for the sake of 'getting something' at the end of the month.

Most people in middle management and white-collar jobs cannot survive more than ten days of a month before their entire wage is depleted.

Andrew Somba, an accountant in Harare hints it is better to earn the peanuts than to stay at home and get nothing at the end of the day.

"Sometimes I feel like resigning considering the fact that the costs and bills I meet every month, are way above my monthly earnings," he said.

A white-collar job mainly refers to a salaried professional or a person whose job is clerical in nature, as opposed to a blue-collar worker whose job is more in line with manual labor.

Somba said some of his friends now mock him because he puts on a tie. They say putting on a tie or a suit means one is earning more, contrary to the real situation on the ground.

"Some workers where I work, have since been put on forced leave."

"I think the situation has been worsened by the fact that nowadays jobs are difficult to come by," he said.

Many manufacturing companies have scaled down operations due to shortages of foreign currency, raw materials and constant power cuts. Businesses are failing to cope with ever-rising operational costs.

Many civil servants including teachers are taking home less than $300 million per month.

With the rate of inflation at figures around 100 000 percent, many people have quit professional jobs to engage in blue-collar trades whilst some sell foreign currency and others sell goods and commodities on the parallel market where they cite more returns as compared to being employed.

Many professionals cannot afford to provide enough for their families, worst to buy a house, a car or furniture.

One valuer, at a leading property firm says sometimes he feels he wasted his time going to college.

"Currently I earn $500 million as gross, but of course because of tax, I take home way less than that."

"To make matters worse, if I tell my employer that I cannot come to work considering such a salary, the company cites I do what I want because they are failing to give workers increments," he said.

Joseph Muponda, a worker with a manufacturing firm, Edisan Group of Companies says his firm announced no blue-collar worker will earn less than $400 million this month.

"We have been told our employment council which represents manufacturing workers has effected salary increments."

"I do not have any tertiary qualification. I just completed my ordinary levels just like may other Zimbabweans and this is good news to most us- workers at the firm."

"Now, we are earning more than most of the white collar workers," he said.

Since Zimbabwe's economic recession, thousands of employees have been retrenched, others put on forced leave as businesses grappled with spiraling operating costs.

This paper can reveal most blue-collar workers are taking home more than white-collar workers also considering the fact that there exist overtime payments in industries or rather manufacturing firms.

Many of these companies also provide companies with tea, lunch and transport to and from work. These entail Delta, Zimtile, Turnall, and Dairbord Zimbabwe, among many others.

"Our employer provides us with transport and meals thereby making our lives much easier," said Muponda.

Only a few companies offer white-collar workers with sufficient transport and lunch allowances.

Last year, the government's halt in prices of basic commodities, resulted in many firms scaling down operations whilst others closed down.

According to the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), more than 750 companies have closed down since 2002.

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