Civil servants meet Tsvangirai

The Apex Council is pressing for a salary increase of up to $538 from $253, given to the least paid worker as basic salary.
PM Tsvangirai was in the company of Public Service Minister, Lucia Matibenga, and the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Paulina Mpariwa.
The Government, after a series of National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meetings with representatives of workers ultimately awarded them increases ranging between $43 and $58, which would see the lowest paid worker getting $296 per month.
Apex Council president Mrs Tendai Chikowore confirmed yesterday’s meeting, saying Prime Minister Tsvangirai had agreed to engage the ministerial committee for strategic planning that would improve civil servants’ remuneration.
“We indicated soon after a no agreement during the NJNC that we would appeal to the PM and articulate our concerns. You have to appreciate that it was a consultative meeting not a negotiation meeting, where we submitted our concerns deliberated on the salary issue,” said Mrs Chikowore.
“We interacted with the PM and presented our concerns, with the real issue being the outstanding salaries. We also told that the workers were expecting a salary review in July, which should at least tally with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL).”
Mrs Chikowore said the Apex Council was expecting Prime Minister Tsvangirai to engage the Cabinet Taskforce involved in civil servants issues and come up with a strategic plan in a reasonable timeframe.
Last year, civil servants accused PM Tsvangirai after he failed to address their plight when they consulted him.
The civil servants then turned their attention to President Mugabe who promised them an increase, which they indeed got in July.
On assuming office in 2009, PM Tsvangirai also promised to increase salaries and improve their working conditions.
However, since then, he has not done anything to fulfil the promise.