ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe’s restive public sector workers are calling for a full-scale review of their salaries and conditions.
The demand came in a letter from the Apex Council of Trade Unions to Public Service Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.
Chair of the Apex Council, Cecilia Alexander said salaries had been eroded by price increases.
“Civil Servants need to be cushioned from the current economic environment,” Mrs Alexander said.
She said price hikes had eroded the value of PS employees’ earnings.
“We are therefore requesting the Government to restore the value of what we earn,” Mrs Alexander said.
“Civil Servants’ salaries should be cushioned somehow.”
She also asked the Minister to quickly attend to the pending issue of teachers’ vacation leave.
Vacation leave for teachers was cancelled in January 2016 as part of austerity measures and teachers have been protesting it ever since.
Mrs Alexander said PS employees were eager to iron out their various grievances with the Minister.
The Government and PS staff met over pay and conditions in September last year, with the Government reportedly promising to come up with a final position within two months.
In early March, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association threatened to go on strike to force the Government to rescind the decision to withdraw vacation leave for educators after negotiations failed.
Harare, 27 March 2018
