Trymore Tagwirei

Some mining sector employees will soon be earning five percent (5%) more after workers’ unions successfully negotiated a staggered salary increase which started in January this year.

The development follows an agreement between the mining industry and the National Employment Council (NEC) for the sector.

The negotiations were led by the Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) and the Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (AMWUZ).

ZDAMWU General Secretary Justice Chinhema revealed that the agreement entailed a four percent increment from January to June 2025, followed by a 1% increment from July to December 2025.

“This will take the minimum wage for a grade one employee from US$372.75 to US$387.66 from January and June 2025. The July to December 2025 increment will take it to US$391.37. This was a compromise and we continue to work for other benefits such as transport, housing and medical aide for the benefit of vulnerable workers in the sector,” said Chinhema.

The latest development follows other marginal increments over the past two years which workers have decried as not enough.

In early 2023, the National Employment Council (NEC) for Mining Industry notified employers of an 8,333333% basic minimum wage increment across all grades. The employees were mainly receiving 50% of their salaries in USD, and the other 50% in local currency on the interbank rate.

In 2024, NEC notified employers in a circular dated 18 June 2024 that the lowest mine worker’s salary was to be raised from US$355 to US$369.20.

Workers argue that the increments should match the poverty datum line which stands at an average of US$575.

In 2024, the mining industry contributed 13.3 percent to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) totaling over US$5 billion.