GoZ allegedly offered paltry pay hike of 50% increment on ZWD salaries to public sector workers at the National Joint Negotiation Council (NJNC).
The employees have agreed to keep the exact detail of the offer under wraps in order to avoid public outrage, but we reveal the amount.
The negotiation meeting, held on the 9th floor boardroom of Kaguvi Building in Harare between representatives of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and emissaries of civil servants under the banner of the Zimbabwe Congress of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), ended in a deadlock.
It was postponed to next Thursday. The civil servants’ demand through ZCPSTU was US$840 salaries, which was an increase on the US$540 that they have long pushed for. The US$540 was pegged on public sector salaries during the power-sharing Government of National Unity.
After the meeting, ZCPSTU said it agreed not to publicise the government’s offer until an agreement has been reached. ZCPSTU chairperson Cecilia Alexander said the exact figures pertaining to the government’s offer were too little and embarrassing, but she would not disclose them. She said:
“We agreed with government not to publicise the offer in order for negotiations to proceed in good faith. We outrightly rejected the offer from government.
“What government offered as increments was too little from what we are asking. However, we agreed for further engagements. We allowed government to make further consultations so that it comes up with meaningful proposals at the negotiation table.”
