Staff Writer- Zimbabwe’s mine workers have renewed pressure on employers to improve wages and conditions, with the National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (NMWUZ) demanding a minimum monthly salary of US$1 200 for the lowest-paid employees, citing inflation, rising living costs and widening inequality in the sector.

NMWUZ president Kurebwa Javangwe Nhomboka said the proposed wage floor is meant to restore workers’ dignity and purchasing power, noting that most mine employees are earning salaries that fall below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) despite the mining industry benefiting from higher global mineral prices.

“2025 was once again a punishing year for workers whose wages remain far below the PDL, making it extremely difficult to fend for their families and meet basic needs,” Nhomboka said.

He highlighted what he described as a glaring contradiction between international market trends and local labour conditions. “All minerals being mined in Zimbabwe have recorded price increases on the global market, yet salaries for mine workers have remained stagnant. This imbalance cannot be justified,” he said.

Nhomboka said the union is insisting that even a general hand, the lowest-paid worker in the sector, should earn no less than US$1 200 per month. “The least-paid worker in the mining sector must get US$1 200. Current salaries are far too low compared to the hard work, risks and sacrifices workers make for their employers,” he said.

In addition to wage demands, NMWUZ is pushing for reforms to production-based incentives. Nhomboka said the union will lobby for a 100 percent increase in production bonuses, tied to targets set by individual companies. “Our research shows that workers are sweating day and night, but their effort is not translating into meaningful rewards. Production bonuses must reflect the value of their labour,” he said.

The union leader also called on mining companies to introduce comprehensive home ownership schemes, warning that many mine workers end up destitute after retirement or death. “When a mining worker retires, he or she often has nowhere to live. When a worker passes on, the family is left vulnerable,” Nhomboka said.

He stressed that any housing scheme must prioritise lower-grade employees. “We are calling for policies that ensure workers own houses. This will guarantee dignity in retirement and provide security for dependants when a worker dies,” he said.

Nhomboka further criticised what he termed deep-seated inequalities in education benefits within the mining sector. He said senior managers enjoy fully paid school fees for their children, while lower-grade workers are forced to cover education costs from meagre salaries.
“It is disturbing that 45 years after independence, we still have a bottleneck education system rooted in colonial inequalities,” he said. “Children of top managers are being groomed to manage the children of general hands because of unequal access to educational support.”

He urged mining companies to adopt a universal education support policy. “Companies must pay school fees and provide educational stationery for all workers’ children, regardless of grade. Even if they attend different schools, the support must be equal. That is how we create real equal opportunities for the next generation,” Nhomboka said.

NMWUZ said it will continue engaging mining companies and relevant authorities until its demands on wages, bonuses, housing and education benefits are addressed.