adminSenior Reporter
THE leadership wrangle within the Apex Council, which brings together all public sector unions, has turned legal with members calling on the Government to revise the Statutory Instrument regulating the composition of the body.
Union leaders have been blamed by their members for failing to engage the Government fruitfully because of continued bickering within the workers’ body.
On Tuesday, Public Service Minister Cde Nicholas Goche also told the union leaders to put their house in order and put their differences aside.
In separate interviews this week, union leaders said the leadership wrangle was fuelled by a legal gap in Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997, which only provides for existence of two unions, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) and the Public Service Association (PSA) and ignores several new unions that emerged later.
“The challenge in this issue is purely legal and Government must change the Statutory Instrument regulating the Apex Council to accommodate new unions that are now part of us,” Zimta chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said.
“The current legislation has been overtaken by events and needs to be opened up. Unless this is addressed it will take time to resolve this impasse.”
Previously the two larger unions shared between themselves the nine seats given to civil servants in the negotiating forum.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) spokesperson Enock Paradzai said the Government was not being fair with unions regarding the composition of the Apex Council.
“There are nine posts for negotiators in the Apex Council yet we have up to 12 unions that are registered with Government but are not catered for in the Statutory Instrument,” he said.
“These new unions should be part of the negotiators because they represent constituencies. Surprisingly when we sent our list of negotiators the Government rejected them and that does not sit well with us.”
Paradzai said he believed that instead of pointing fingers at workers, Government should review the legislation first.
“We believe Government is using this excuse as a delaying tactic to buy time and defer negotiations with us. President Mugabe promised us a token salary increase after elections and that should not be negotiable,” he said.
Paradzai also complained that unions like Zimta have a big brother mentality and wanted majority seats on the negotiating table.
“We want a situation where each union has a seat and that new registered unions are recognised. The problem is about the legitimacy of the new unions and nothing else and Government should specify that through a specific statutory instrument,” he said.
Apex Council president David Dzatsunga who also leads the College Lecturers of Zimbabwe (Colaz), has had difficulties trying to unite public workers as some disputed his legitimacy.
Dzatsunga said the continued bickering between unions was not only embarrassing but working against the interests of thousands of Government workers who expect them to deliver.
The unions are expected to meet today to discuss the composition of the Apex Council.
Cde Goche could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.
Problems within the Apex Council arose a few years ago when smaller and newly formed unions, mainly from the education sector, such as the PTUZ, Colaz, Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ) and others representing administrators in Government began agitating for constitutional amendments and positions within Apex Council leadership structures as well as seats on the negotiating table.
Online Reporter