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to the new breakdown, the lowest-paid worker, who is in grade B1, will get a basic salary of US$159 up from $128, US$50 for housing and a transport allowance of US$44.
This means the basic salary has been increased by US$31 across the board.

There was, however, no reintroduction of rural and education allowances.
The increment, at least for now, is likely to defuse anger that has been mounting in the civil service, an official said yesterday.

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Only last week, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, reiterated that Government was facing a serious liquidity crunch and could not afford to award an increment.
However, addressing journalists in Harare yesterday after a National Joint Negotiating Council meeting, Apex council chairperson, Mrs Tendai Chikowore, said the “provisional” adjustment had moved the lowest-paid civil servant to 50 percent of the poverty datum line, which currently stands at US$502.

The Apex council brings together all civil servants’ unions – the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Public Service Associa-tion and Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe.
Mrs Chikowore, who is also Zimta president, said the Apex council had accepted the increase and the next review would be implemented in Ja-nuary next year.

“A protracted process on negotiations and consultations between Gover-nment and the Apex council leadership, which culminated in the historic meeting with the State President (Cde Mugabe) on 6 April 2011, has resulted in an agreement on the levels of remuneration to be paid to civil servants and defined a way forward towards the attainment of the PDL informed remuneration package for the least-paid civil servants.

“Issues relating to the reintroduction of the rural allowance and the education allowance have been agreed on. However, their payment has been deferred to a time when the Govern-ment has generated sufficient revenue to effect the same,” she said.

She said they would continue to fight until they achieved the PDL threshold.
However, cracks within the Apex council were evident yesterday with other members welcoming the inc-rease while others such as PTUZ said Government imposed the increase.
PTUZ secretary-general Mr Ray-mond Majongwe walked out of the conference room during the journalists’ question-and-answer segment after disagreeing with Mrs Chikowore.

The unions were also divided last week on what course of action to take when civil servants failed to get an increase last month.
Others chose dialogue with their employer while PTUZ called for a strike, which flopped.
Mr Majongwe argued that the increase neglected rural teachers at a time when most of them were not getting incentives from parents.

Government, he said, had imposed the figures on them without negotiating.
“This figure is pathetic. These are the figures we learnt of in the Press two weeks ago. So where is the issue of negotiating? Rural teachers despite their commitment have been neglected.

“It is clear there is money because a few days ago we were told there was no money but where has the money come from in these few hours?” he charged.
However, other unions welcomed the increment saying it would go a long way in motivating their “restive” members.

TUZ chief executive, Mr Manuel Nyawo, whose union had initially sided with PTUZ on the strike action, thanked President Mugabe for honouring his promise.
“He (President Mugabe) said something would come and this is the something. At least this is a roadmap for greater things to come. Though it was not exactly what we wanted, we understand the economy is not performing as expected but at least action has been taken,” he said.

Mr Nyawo urged Government to “quickly” address the plight of rural teachers.
PSA president Cecilia Alexander added: “The Head of State and Government lived to his word; we would like to thank him. It’s not enough but this is an avenue for lobbying for more increases in the future.”

Civil servants have been agitating for a salary increase without success.
However, Minister Biti was refusing to have their salaries increased citing a “shoe-string budget” amid allegations that he was playing to the whims of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai recently tried to pull a fast one on President Mugabe by accusing him of lying to civil servants about their plight yet he is still to fulfill a promise he made to civil servants two years ago.

Soon after being sworn in, PM Tsvangirai promised to approach his friends around the world to mobilise money for civil servants, something he has failed to do.