Civil Service Audit Report

A Slap in the Face of Workers Summary of Findings and Recommendations On Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development.PreambleComrades, the civil service audit report 2015 whose objective is to reduce the Public Service Salary bill by 40% is finally with us. It is worth noting that it only comes to us long after it has been passed by Cabinet. Disturbingly, the employer has since started implementing the recommendations of the report without any consultation with the workers. This bitter pill is being rammed down our throats accompanied by unprecedented intimidation, outright harassment and unbridled victimisation. We have already witnessed the cessation of salaries for being away from station for just a single day, a punishment not supported by any statutory provision.A reading of the provisions below belie our assertion that government has decided to sacrifice its workers who should now bear the costs of an economic quagmire that they did not create.

Notwithstanding that we have not had a salary increase in years, we have still seen $40-00+ being deducted from our salaries, making the realisation of our long standing demand for a PDL pegged salary a pie in the sky. While it is noble that we contribute towards our pension, it is the timing , the size of the deduction and the absence of consultation that leaves a bitter taste. The overstaffing due to under-subscribed courses, which is most pronounced in polytechnics needs for government to revise its enrollment criteria regards the maths requirement which we believe should be mandatory for certain subject areas at least in the short run.It is tragic that government has resolved to reduce student teacher grants by 50%. This will certainly drive especially the female students into vices that will impact negatively on the fraternity. We urge for government to have a rethink on this.Comrades, below is a summary of what is a large report from which we extracted what we believe is pertinent to our sector. Please look at them. What do you think 13 Teacher Training Colleges overstaffed by 427 lectures.· 13 Polytechnic Colleges overstaffed by 1289 lectures.

NB. Report only focuses on lecturers while there is no mention of non-teaching staff.· 26 Teachers’ Colleges and Polytechnics teaching secondary school subjects disguised as bridging courses causing over staffing through engaging of more lectures.· Secondary School subjects taught during normal hours.· Lecturers earning extra-allowances by teaching secondary school subjects.· Under-subscribed courses/programmes taught by a high number of lecturers’e.g Mutare Polytechnic, Music has 12 students with 3 lecturers.· Since July 2009, Civil servants have not been contributing pension, yet get benefits on termination. Proposed Measures· Granting of unpaid Manpower Development leave.· Cessation of funding for bridging programmes by 26 Tertiary Colleges.· Rationalisation of lecturers with less than standard teaching load at 13 Polytechnics.· Rationalisation of 1716 posts at tertiary institutions· Cessation of provision of free transport services to some Civil Servants.· Resuscitation of payment of pension contributions at 7.5 %.·

Downsizing Civil Service through restructuring, multi-skilling and multi-tasking.· Colleges to cease the running of secondary schools.· Redeployment of under-utilised lecturers.· Members to proceed on any type of leave after the approved leave forms are available at the station and at SSB· Review downward allowances payable to student Teachers.· Consider payment of Student Teacher Allowances under Manpower Development ACT for standardisation purposes.· Review downwards allowances paid to other trainees in the Publics Service· Enforce equitable distribution of student teachers nationally.· Abolish vacant posts amounting to 20801.