Civil servants bank on Zanu-PF Govt

Felex Share Herald Reporter
For civil servants, the year 2013 brought hope for them as it ushered in a new administration in the form of a wholly Zanu-PF led Government, victors of the July 31 harmonised elections. Although Government workers are still battling with the problems of low salaries and poor working conditions, the one-party Government brought relief to them as it expressed willingness to engage them as well as improve their welfare.

The workers had a torrid time during the tenure of the inclusive Government, with strikes over conditions of service marking the uneasy relations between the two parties as Finance Minister Tendai Biti (MDC-T) consistently said there was no money to improve their lot even though his party had made a host of promises to civil servants after the 2008 elections.

As in the previous years, in 2013 the issue of civil servants’ salaries remained topical and contentious, and often assuming a political dimension.

To make matters worse, the Government ministers that superintended the portfolios of Finance and Public Service – both from MDC-T – rather arrogantly avoided workers each time they requested an audience.

Essentially all communication channels between Government and the workers were shut and there was no engagement.
This saw Government unilaterally imposing decisions on workers without even consulting them, and to this end an inflation-related salary increment of 5,3 percent was effected in January without going to the National Joint Negotiating Council, a platform that brings to the negotiating table Government and its employees.

As if that was not enough, the inclusive Government took advantage of the bickering among the civil servants’ unions over the composition of the Apex Council to completely shut the door on them.

There was no trust between Government and workers. And that did not create an environment ideal for optimal service delivery.
After enduring all this, the workers saw a one-party Government being a panacea to their problems.

The resounding victory by Zanu-PF in the polls brought hope in the civil service and the trust that had been eaten away during the life of the inclusive Government was slightly restored.

The new Government has shown its commitment to address the plight of workers with several engagement meetings having been held since the new Cabinet was sworn in.

The hide-and-seek games of the past four years are gone and the workers now know who to approach with their grievances.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche has met the workers on several occasions and communication between the workers and Government is now easy.

Although negotiations are still going on, with nothing concrete having come out of the meetings as yet, the workers are happy that at least an ear is listening to their problems.

President Mugabe has at several platforms assured the workers that their salaries and conditions of service will be improved to match the Poverty Datum Line, which is pegged at .US$540 by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe,

The lowest paid Government employee earns US$297.
The new Government quickly ordered the workers to reconstitute the Apex Council for negotiations to begin. They were also tasked with coming up with a position paper, which they did.

Instead of the workers giving Government ultimatums it was vice versa, with the employer twice setting a deadline for the workers to put their house in order.

The spirit of negotiation is back and salary talks began last week with the workers seeking a monthly minimum salary of US$543 and other non-monetary incentives and rewards like housing stands and indigenisation benefits.

Government’s response is expected in the coming weeks and the civil servants remain hopeful because their plight has for long been a puzzle begging for solution.