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Minister Goche

Felex Share Herald Reporter
THE Civil Service Commission has invited civil servants unions’ representatives for a meeting tomorrow to review the legal framework governing their operations to ensure that they are in line with the new Constitution. This came after the workers’ unions had approached the commission requesting for a meeting to discuss the implications of the new supreme law on their operations.

Section 65 (5) of the new Constitution stipulates that the CSC is now responsible for fixing and regulating conditions of service for members of the civil service, including salaries, allowances and other benefits and the workers now want clarity on how they would engage Government in collective bargaining.

The new Constitution does not provide for the Apex Council – a body that brings together civil servants unions and the National Joint Negotiating Council – a platform that brings together workers and Government negotiators.

CSC secretary, Mrs Pretty Sunguro invited the workers in a letter dated September 5, 2013.
“We acknowledge receipt of your minutes received by ourselves on September 3, 2013 contents of which have been noted,” she said.
“The Civil Service Commission will be available for such a meeting on September 18, 2013 to discuss all the items you highlighted. As intimated we would like to advise that the forum will not be a National Joint Negotiating Council platform. Details of the meeting will be given closer to the date of the meeting.”

College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr David Dzatsunga yesterday said they needed to realign their operations with the new Constitution.

“We are preparing to meet the newly constituted Civil Service Commission so that we look at the legislative framework governing our operations,” he said.

“We want clarification on certain issues which include whether or not we still have the right to collective to bargaining. This is all about the interpretation of the new law and our operations.”

Teachers Union of Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said they wanted clarity on how the negotiating platform with Government would be like.

“We are glad our new Minister (Nicholas Goche) has indicated that our views and proposals will be accepted and it is a good move but for now we want to see how our representatives will be constituted,” he said.

“The Wednesday meeting is not about negotiations but a review of the legal framework governing our operations.”
Minister Goche, who now superintends the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare ministry last week said the new Zanu-PF Government would prioritise the welfare and conditions of service for civil servants and would soon start implementing strategies to improve their income in line with the Zanu-PF election manifesto.

He said the Government workers had been neglected for a long time and something needed to be done.
“We are going to work in consultation with the Minister of Finance (Patrick Chinamasa) to see what can be done for the workers,” Minister Goche said.

“We also have to consult, get views and proposals from various civil servants unions and see what we can do for them now depending on what will be in the coffers.”