Most civil servants received the COLA payment for last
month last Friday and is meant to cushion them while negotiations for salary
review continue.
Government has since June been paying civil servants a flat
non-taxable Covid-19 allowance of US$75 while pensioners who retired from the
civil service are getting US$30 per month. The Covid-19 allowance which was
initially meant to cover three months, has been extended to the end of the
year.
Three weeks ago, the Government tabled a 40 percent salary
increase which was rejected by civil servants hence the negotiations are
continuing. The civil servants are demanding a minimum salary of US$480 or the
local currency equivalent.
In an interview yesterday, the Minister of Public Service,
Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima said the Government is
committed to improving the welfare of civil servants.
“Government is not stalling anything. Government has stated
its position, which is to say that it can offer a 40 percent COLA adjustment
and an extension of the US$75 Covid-19 allowance. The unions have rejected the
Government offer hence negotiations are continuing,” he said.
Prof Mavima said Government decided to pay COLA as
negotiations continue because it is sensitive to the plight of its workers.
Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander said COLA
was not a product of negotiations and as workers’ representatives they could
not stop Government from paying the COLA.
“We can’t stop them from paying their workers because they
have the machinery to do so. What is now required is an urgent meeting to
finalise this round of negotiations. We have rejected the 40 percent salary
increase and we hope Government will come up with a better offer,” she said.
Mrs Alexander said the worker’s position is that Government
should pay them salaries that were obtaining in October 2018 when they were
being paid US$ salaries. Chronicle
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