For more than a year, the PSA has been divorced from the Apex Council, which brings together civil servants unions in salary negotiations with the government.
Government workers have failed to engage with their employers over salary increments owing to the leadership wrangles at the Apex Council following College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe President, David Dzatsunga’s election as Chairperson.
The PSA boycotted the elections saying they were unconstitutional and then refused to endorse the Apex Council leadership.
There were allegations among teacher unions loyal to the current Apex Council leadership that the PSA, a member of the Apex Council itself, was running a parallel structure. This prompted the government to write to the civil servants, telling them to put their house in order .
As a result, the PSA came under fire from civil servants for being insensitive to the plight of workers.
In an interview with The Zimbabwean, PSA Executive Secretary, Emmanuel Tichareva, said his association had realised that divisions among civil servants unions were not doing workers any good.
“As you know, the wrangles have been affecting salary negotiations. At the moment, we are in discussion with our colleagues about how we can come together and negotiate for better salaries,” he said. “There is a new dispensation that has come with the new constitution. The statutory instrument that created the Apex Council is no longer relevant so when we come together as associations, the leadership wrangles at the Apex Council will naturally fall away.”
He said the PSA was hopeful that civil servants’ associations would meet before the end of September to iron out their differences. He denied claims that the PSA had been running a parallel structure.
“No negotiations ever took place,” he said.
Responding to the PSA’s sentiments, Dzatsunga said the association’s move was a welcome development. He said there needed to be a consensus from the various associations representing civil servants.
Post published in: News