THE Government has agreed to effect civil servants’ salary
increment from the beginning of this month instead of February.
Apex Council, the umbrella body representing all civil
servants, and Government had on Monday agreed on the new salary scale but
disagreed on the effective date.
Negotiations continued here yesterday, resulting in the agreement being
struck.
Apex Council president, Mrs Cecilia Alexander said although
the Government’s salary offer was below their expectations, they accepted it
while negotiations for a better package continue as a compromise for the sake
of civil servants who are in a desperate situation.
Civil servants wanted the increment backdated to January
and paid once-off or over two months while Government proposed to stagger it
until April.
The parties are meeting here on the sidelines of the
National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) and Health Service Bipartite
Negotiating Panel workshop currently underway.
Yesterday evening the Apex Council convened soon after
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima
officially opened the workshop where he had called for a compromise between
civil servants’ expectations and what Government can afford.
Coming out of that meeting, Mrs Alexander said they will
however only sign the agreement when Government agrees to pay the difference
for the January salaries once off or over two months.
She declined to reveal the new pay offer saying it was
premature to talk about it. However, sources said Government had offered 140 percent
salary increase across the board.
Mrs Alexander said there has been progress in their negotiations.
“I can confirm that there have been negotiations going on
between Government and civil servants represented by the Apex Council here in
Victoria Falls. There has been progress in terms of effective date as you are
aware in our last negotiation Government proposed to pay as from 1 February but
now they have brought forward the effective date,” she said.
“It is still work in progress and there are a lot of
pressures. Government proposed to pay the January balance staggered over four
months and we are meeting again this evening to try and push them to pay in two
months.
“We are agreed on all other areas but still the Government
offer is not at the level we expected. It’s far less but because our members
are desperate, it’s better we take what’s there for now and continue
negotiating,” said Mrs Alexander.
She said civil servants had suffered enough hence the
decision to accept Government’s offer. “Salary is a survival issue,” she said.
“Our entry point was that our salaries be indexed or paid
using the interbank rate but for now we have climbed down so that people get
something while we continue to negotiate.”
Mrs Alexander said the Apex Council is also pushing
Government to have salaries reviewed every quarter. Prof Mavima said Government had made a solid offer.
“As Government we
believe we have made a solid offer to the civil servants but however there is a
sticking issue of payment of the arrears from January hence the negotiations
have adjourned to tomorrow,” he said.
Addressing the workshop earlier, he said Government was
committed to improving conditions of service for civil servants because
economic development predominantly rests on the working conditions of the
public servants.
He said his vision is to improve the negotiation platform
and civil servants’ working conditions. The Minister
promised to negotiate with Treasury for periodic review of salaries.
Public Service Commission deputy chair Ambassador Mary
Margaret Muchada appealed to workers’ representatives to urge their members to
be patient.
“Already this year Government has committed itself to
adjusting the salaries in a bid to cushion the workers.
“We were therefore somewhat perturbed when in the past
fortnight some were not rendering services despite being at the work place and
we urge representatives to talk to your members to understand,” she said.
Herald
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