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Cracks in the Apex Council – a body that represents civil servants in salary negotiations – widened yesterday with the unions disagreeing on how to deal with a Government directive to come for salary negotiations with a united team. The latest stand-off, which resulted in a scheduled meeting being called off at the last minute, means salary negotiations between the workers and Government would not start any time soon.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche has told the workers to reconstitute the Apex Council as divisions among civil servants unions have seen them submitting two different lists of negotiators to Government.
The workers are required to second nine representatives to the negotiating table which they did early this month, but the College Lectures Association of Zimbabwe after being left out submitted another list of negotiators, a clear sign of divisions among the representatives.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association, which has the largest membership countrywide, said the initial list submitted to Government was final while the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and Colaz have ganged up against that idea.
This is despite the fact that the PTUZ and TUZ had agreed and assented to the initial list.
The two unions are now reneging on the agreement and want Zimta to surrender a seat to Colaz.
Zimta chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said the lecturers could not stifle salary negotiations as they represented a small group.
He said according to the International Labour Organisation standards, a workers’ union with the largest following should have the highest number of negotiators.
“Government should not use these so called disagreements as a scapegoat for effecting an increment or negotiations,” he said.
“Civil servants cannot be sacrificed on the alter because of smaller and splinter unions that continue to come into the picture. The voice of the majority should be respected. Why should the Minister listen to a disowned person (Colaz).
“We are open for consultations and negotiations should not be stifled by people who do not have a constituency.”
Mr Ndlovu said Government was allowing “opportunists” to control the salary negotiations at the expense of the workers.
“We are having opportunism instead of trade unionism,” he said.
“That is the reason why most of these unions hide the number of their members.
“If they have a large membership they should come out and declare that number. We have submitted the names and we can continue going forth and back when the workers are suffering.”
In the initial list signed by the unions, Zimta was given three seats, PTUZ and TUZ got one negotiator each while the Public Service Association has four negotiators.
PSA represents the rest of the Government workers not in the education sector. TUZ chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said every union had a right to be heard and Colaz should be included in the negotiating team.
“We need to allow each other space to be heard no matter how small,” he said.
“We are all equal in the eyes of the law, equal by registration and recognition and no one should be barred from talking to his or her employer,” he said.
“How would we feel if we were the ones excluded? They have got every reason to complain and we have to accommodate them.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and Zimta should swallow its pride and surrender its seats to others.”
PTUZ secretary general Mr Raymond Majongwe said Zimta should stop being selfish and allow other unions to participate in the negotiations. “They want to muzzle everyone and control everything and we are against that,” he said.
“But Government should not hide behind a finger because if they want to effect a salary increment they should do that because workers cannot find because of the so called confusion in the Apex Council.”
Minister Goche has indicated that Government’s negotiating team was ready for negotiations.
Civil servants are looking forward to a salary increment in line with the poverty datum line in January after previous attempts in during the tenure of the inclusive Government hit a brick wall.
The lowest paid Government worker is getting US$297while the PDL stands at US$540.
Online Reporter