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Raymond Majongwe

Herald Reporter
Civil servants are ready for salary negotiations with the Government after they agreed on nine representatives to second to the National Joint Negotiating Council yesterday.
The NJNC brings to the negotiating table civil servants’ unions and Government.
The agreement on sticky issues by union leaders came just a day before presentation of the 2013-14 National Budget, which civil servants hope will peg their minimum salary at the poverty datum line, which is presently US$540.

Civil servants are also demanding 30 percent of their basic salary as rural allowance to cushion those working outside urban centres.
The least-paid Government worker is getting US$297.

Yesterday, all unions representing Government workers confirmed they had put their house in order, thereby meeting a 48-hour ultimatum issued by Government on Monday.

They submitted the list of substantive representatives to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare soon after their meeting.

Out of the nine seats, the education sector — which constitutes the bulk of civil servants — got five seats.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association got two seats and their president Mr Richard Gundane will be the Apex Council team leader.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe (Colaz) got a seat each.

The Public Service Association got two seats and the other two went to the Professional and Technical Officers Association and Civil Service Employees Association of Zimbabwe

TUZ chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said they had retained the status quo by including most members who were in the previous negotiating team.

“All the 12 unions attended the meeting and agreed on the list that we submitted to Government today (yesterday),” he said.
“It is now up to the Government to show us that they were serious with the issue of negotiations. Our eyes are more on tomorrow’s (today) Budget to see what is in store for us. All we need are salaries that are in line with the PDL come January next year.”

Zimta chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said reason had prevailed.
“We don’t want Government to blame us for stalling negotiations and now that we have submitted the list, we are now waiting to hear from them,” he said. “We have already made our proposals to Government and this is what we expect to see addressed in the National Budget.”

Added PTUZ secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe: “This is victory for the workers and we need an immediate platform to engage in collective bargaining with Government.

“We are happy some unions have swallowed their pride and ceded seats. This is a realisation that we need concerted efforts to achieve our goals.”

President Mugabe last week said Government was committed to a salary increment, while the Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi at the weekend resolved that the State should peg minimum wages to the PDL.