Collective Bargaining Agreement Mine Workers

This further agreement between the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe and the Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe, reached on 13 March 2023 and gazetted on 1 March 2024, replaces clauses 1(a) and 1(b) of Schedule E to the 1990 mining industry agreement (S.I. 152 of 1990). It sets the industry minimum earnings for 1 January to 31 December 2023.

The headline shift is that minimums are now expressed in US dollars rather than ZWL. Grade 1 moves from a December 2022 minimum of ZWL217 299,84 to US$355,00 a month, or US$13,65 per shift. Working up the scale: grade 2 US$357,83, grade 3 US$359,30, grade 4 US$365,61, grade 5 US$376,52, grade 6 US$394,19, grade 7 US$410,34, grade 8 US$446,92, grade 9 US$542,14, grade 10 US$607,81, grade 11 US$712,12, grade 12 US$772,40 and grade 13 US$823,37.

How that is paid depends on the employer. Foreign currency generating companies must pay in both currencies: at grade 1, US$230,75 in actual US dollars and the remaining US$124,25 in ZWL at the prevailing auction rate on the date of payment. Companies that do not generate foreign currency may be exempted from dual currency payment and pay the whole US dollar minimum in ZWL at the prevailing auction rate on the payment date.

Service increments are layered on top and accumulate with length of service with the same employer: 2% after two years, rising to 3% after three, 4% after four, 6% after ten, 8% after fifteen, 10% after twenty and 12% after twenty-five. At grade 1 that is US$7,10 after two years up to US$42,60 after twenty-five; at grade 13, US$16,47 up to US$98,80. Increments must be shown separately on paysheets and payslips and form part of basic earnings. Employers already paying above the minimum may, at their discretion, calculate the increment on the actual wage instead.

Three deductions must be implemented and any shortfalls backdated to 1 January 2023: Mining Industry Pension Fund contributions; NEC dues at 0,3% of the grade minimum; and AMWUZ subscriptions at 3% of an employee's basic salary until further notice. Remittances to the NEC and AMWUZ must use the same dual currency split as the wages actually earned.

The exemption clause in clause 6 of the 1990 principal agreement continues to apply, so a struggling mine can apply for relief from the minimums, and employers able to pay above them are encouraged to do so.

One table-heading slip in the published text: the service increment table is headed "ZWL" while the figures in it are plainly the US dollar amounts that match the US dollar grade minimums.