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The nine people include four from Zimta, four from PSA and one from the other unions such as Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe and legal practitioners,” said Mr Dzatsunga.
“PSA was not represented at the meeting but we included the association’s president, Mrs Cecilia Alexander in the list of negotiators. The selection was based on inclusivity and we tried our best to incorporate all the unions”.
He said the Apex Council was determined to spearhead the salary negotiations as there was pressure from the workers.
“It is important for us to speed up this process and we believe that this is the best way we can progress as we are under pressure from workers.
“After the endorsement of the negotiators by Government, we would be able to start salary negotiations. Such negotiations are guided by a Statutory Instrument and accordingly, the Minister is only allowed to meet the Apex Council, not individual unions,” said Mr Dzatsunga.
However, Mrs Alexander said PSA did not recognise the negotiating team and described her counterparts as power hungry civil servants, who wanted to dominate the Apex Council.
“We have noticed that our counterparts have high appetite for power and want to dominate the Apex Council. First of all we do not respect the Apex Council led by Mr Dzatsunga because it was unconstitutionally selected. We were supposed to meet them but we were not properly invited to the meeting.
“That group has no mandate to select members from PSA. We are a federation, which represents all professions yet they only represent one profession under one Ministry,” said Mrs Alexander.
She said PSA was therefore pressing the Government to proceed with giving workers what it had in its coffers until the issue is resolved.
Last week, Public Service Minister Lucia Matibenga turned down civil servants unions’ request to recognise the old Apex Council, saying the workers should legally reconstitute the body that represents the workers.
The unions wanted the old committee to negotiate for the next three months while they put their house in order, but Minister Matibenga ordered the unions to reconstitute the Apex Council for salary negotiations to resume.
Minister Matibenga told the unions that according to the Public Service Act, the other option was for the civil servants to reappoint the old Apex Council for the next two years instead of three months.
There have been no meaningful negotiations for the past 11 months due to squabbles among the civil servants’ unions.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti had promised civil servants an inflation related salary increment last month, which the workers are still to get.
The lowest civil servant is getting $296 per month and the workers want the lowest salary to be above the Poverty Datum Line, which is hovering around $600.
Online Reporter