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Pamela Shumba Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT yesterday increased its salary offer to $500 gross for the lowest paid worker but union leaders again rejected it and called for further negotiations on Monday next week. During the meeting, which lasted nine hours, union leaders reportedly pressed for salary perks that are commensurate with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) estimated to be $540, according to Zimstat.
Sources told Chronicle last night that the meeting failed to break the deadlock after the nine hour-long engagement with government.
However, it emerged that the government had offered a $13 million monthly top up to the $142 million civil service wage bill bringing it to $155 million.
The government team, led by Maxwell Ranga, reportedly offered the lowest paid worker $284 as basic salary, $100 transport allowance and $116 housing allowance, bringing the total to $500 from $297.
Grades D5, made up of mostly teachers who account for 60 percent of the civil service, were reportedly offered $314 basic salary, $100 transport and $116 housing allowance adding to $530 per month from about $448.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said the meeting only managed to agree on non-monetary issues.
He could not be drawn into disclosing details of the proposed salary structure offered by the government, saying negotiations were still in progress.
“Negotiations are still in progress and we have adjourned the meeting to Monday to finalise the sticking issues. Today we did not sign any agreement,” said Ndlovu. “We, however, managed to get mileage on other issues such as housing for the workers. This is a principle that we have quickly adopted and proposed for its immediate rolling out.”
Ndlovu added: “The issue of the government not having money was strongly coming out during the meeting.
“We are already updating our membership on the salary offer so that we discuss before we go for the Monday meeting.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) spokesperson Enock Paradzayi said civil servants needed to agree on the PDL.
“Government did not change its position. It insisted that the PDL was at $500. They managed to bring the lowest paid worker to $500.
“I hope when we continue with negotiations on Monday we will resolve the PDL issue and bring it to $540 for the lowest paid worker,” said Paradzayi.
The president of the Apex Council, which brings union representatives together, Richard Gundane could not be reached for comment while other union leaders were not answering their phones.
On Tuesday civil servants representatives leaders turned down an average 26 percent raise of between $50 and $100 across grades and urged their employer to make further adjustments and present a final report at yesterday’s meeting.
Government had proposed a $79 increase for grades B1 to C5 covering the lowest paid workers such as office orderlies who earn about $297 per month.
Grades D1 to D5 mainly teachers, were then awarded $54 which brought them to $500 from $446. Grades E1 to E5 made up of deputy directors, directors and their seniors were offered $92 bringing earnings to $623 from $521.
The government has said the civil servants salaries would be backdated once the negotiations have been completed.
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