This comes after teachers’ union leaders, under the auspices of the Apex Council, had written to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai asking him to push for a salary review. The Apex Council has rejected $240m that government had offered, which meant that each of the country’s 230,000 civil servant would get an increment of about $87.
In a recent interview the Apex Council chairperson, Tendai Chikowore, who is based in Mutare said: “We are convinced that it is the government’s policy to restore service delivery to optimum levels. Our mandate is to demand a minimum salary which is above the poverty datum line for the least paid employee.”
He said the government should deeply appreciate and embrace the fact that the civil service carries the prime responsibility for delivering such services.
The National Joint Negotiating Council confirmed that they will be engaging government representatives to get feedback on their latest demands.
“The issue will be dealt with involving all the parties involved in the negotiating process. We hope that things will work out, we just want to see things resolved,” said NJNC chairperson Nelson Sambureni.
Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, is on record as saying the Treasury had no funds to increase the civil servants’ salaries. Zanu (PF) has been trying to blame Biti for refusing to pay the civil servants with the revenue from diamond mining, claiming that the money had been handed over to the Treasury.
Biti has asked Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu to explain all the diamond transactions. Mpofu has said the country has the potential of generating at least $2 billion annually through the export of diamonds and claimed $30m was going to the Treasury every month, but Biti has disputed the figures demanding proof of such claims.
Post published in: Business