Plans for Strike Shelved

31 JAN, 2019 - 00:01
Felex Share Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald

Civil servants yesterday put their strike intentions on hold as it emerged that the $300 million offered by Government will see the workers getting an increment of between $107 and $122. The offer is to be shared by civil servants between April and December.

Government yesterday engaged civil servants representatives under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) and told workers that for the meantime it could not go beyond $300 million.

This will see the lowest paid worker in Grade B1 (office orderlies) getting an increment of $107. Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecelia Alexander said negotiations were ongoing.

“There were disagreements on whether or not to go on strike, but most unions felt it is not yet ripe to go on strike and we should pursue the route of negotiation,” she said.

“They feel that for now the situation is polarised and any action that we take might be linked to issues which have nothing to do with labour.

“We have decided to give ourselves about two to three weeks to monitor the situation and while we see what Government will be doing on the ground.” She said they had not yet agreed on the $300 million offer.

“We have not yet settled for this,” Mrs Alexander said.

“We will assess the situation and hopefully by end of February and early March there would have been a lot of developments and we anticipate revenue collections to improve such that Government reconsiders its position.”

She added: “Negotiations are still going on because our members are still incapacitated and we have registered that to Government.

“Government has also promised to make some interventions and they have already started doing that on the issue of transport and they said they will also do that on prices.”

President Mnangagwa last week offered civil servants a 22,7 percent cushioning allowance to cover the period January to March.