GOVERNMENT business could grind to a complete halt next
week if government fails to meet the demands made by civil service as the
wheels of governance continue to come off on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
administration.
Representatives of the workers – through the Apex Council –
and government are set to meet again this week to deliberate on the demands.
The meeting came as government has already indicated that
the fiscal space and environment obtaining in the country did not permit it to
increase the civil servants’ salaries without further hurting the economy.
In an interview yesterday, Apex Council secretary David Dzatsunga
said a full blown strike could be the only avenue by which to force government
to review its position.
Dzatsunga said workers were not worried that government had
indicated its inability to meet their demands, but said it was government’s
duty to find resources to meet their demands.
“We have no option, but to embark on a full-scale strike in
the event that the talks that we have been asked to sit in this week fail to
yield the desired results,” he said.
Dzatsunga added that the strike was inevitable as they
would not accept any offers that would insult their membership. The workers are
demanding a $1 700 salary for the lowest paid civil servant and $3 000 for the
highest paid worker.
Government on Monday indicated that it would unveil its
salary offer to the representatives of the workers at the next meeting likely
to be held today.
“As workers, we are yet to be told that which government
says is a package for our members. They have not even told us as the
representatives of the workers. All that has been kept under wraps.
Public Service Commission chairperson, Vincent Hungwe said
the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting will address issues to
enhance the capacity of government workers to effectively discharge their
duties.
In a statement, Hungwe said government will announce an
integrated cost of living adjustment and the NJNC will meet not later than
tomorrow to discuss the issue.
He said the meeting will adopt a common position on the
need to integrate a programmatic approach in determining monetary and non-monetary
benefits of civil servants in future.
“(Meeting) will agree on a roadmap to roll-out the
establishment of a Public Service Pension Scheme based on a funded and defined
benefit modality that is guaranteed by government to protect contributors,”
Hungwe said. Newsday
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