It’s back to negotiating table

GOVERNMENT will this week bring its employees under the auspices of the Apex council to the negotiating table to discuss the August to December cost of living adjustments.

This comes after Government last month awarded the civil servants a once off $400 cushioning allowance.

Discussions have now begun on the cost of living adjustment which will further cushion civil servants from economic vagaries for the remaining five months.

Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Dr Sekai Nzenza said the two parties were set to meet early this week to resume talks on the negotiations.

“As soon as we get a mandate from the Treasury on the allocation from the supplementary budget, we will convene,” she said.

“We are most definitely going to have it (the meeting).

“Government will not revert on its obligation with the cost of living adjustment set to be effective from the August 1.“We will not revert from our previous agreement.”

Apex Council deputy chairperson Mr David Dzatsunga said the council was ready to begin negotiations with Government over the issue.

“We have been very clear with Government on our position which we would want fulfilled,” Mr Dzatsunga said.

“We want the Government to multiply our October 2018 salaries by the current prevailing interbank market rate.”

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) general secretary Mr Tapson Sibanda said they were now waiting for the meeting.

“We now await for another round of talks with Government to negotiate for August to December cost of living adjustment. We expect the Government not to award us not less than $4 600 as demanded earlier,” he said.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube recently said all civil servants will get their bonuses for the year in November.

In March civil servants received a salary increase of $400 million as part of their cost of living adjustment, with the Government promising another review of salaries in July this year.

Under this deal, a civil servant who was earning $441 is now getting $570, while those who were earning $519 saw their salaries rising to $649.

The salary increases ranged from 13 percent to 25 percent, depending on grade.

Last month, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Dr Sekai Nzenza said the Government was working on introducing non-monetary incentives for its employees such as housing, transport and medical insurance.

Recently, civil servants got the green light to import vehicles duty-free as part of non-monetary incentives.

In addition, a $60 million housing facility was unveiled.