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Maxwell Tapatapa Herald Reporter
Civil servants have accepted Government’s 76 percent cost of living adjustment offer which will see the least-paid worker taking home $1 023 per month.
This was revealed at a Press conference convened by the Apex Council in Harare yesterday after meeting Government representatives led by Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Simon Masanga at a National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting.
Apex council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander told journalists that a cost of living adjustment of the total package will be effected from beginning of this month.
“A cost of living adjustment (COLA) ranging from 55 percent to 76 percent of the total package of the basic salary be effected on the sliding scale with effect from 1 August 2019,” she said.
Mrs Alexander said they have provisionally agreed to the offer while they continue with negotiations.
“It must be reiterated that this is a provisional agreement meant first and foremost to allow the Government to cushion its impoverished civil servants.”
However, she said they will continue pursuing Government for a $4 750 salary increment.
“Our substantive demand of $4 750, which is benchmarked against the interbank rate, still stands and negotiations still continue towards that end,” said Mrs Alexander.
Government last week offered the 76 percent cost of living adjustment which the Apex Council neither rejected nor accepted but went back to consult its members and yesterday gave feedback that sealed the deal.
The offer by Government confirms its commitment to ensuring that workers are cushioned from unjustified increases in the price of goods and services.
In July, Government and its workers met and agreed to a once-off cushioning allowance of $400 to provide relief to employees while a cost of living adjustment was being negotiated.
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