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Harare Bureau
GOVERNMENT has started paying cost of living adjustment (COLA) to civil servants, with health workers becoming the first group to receive their dues yesterday.
The health workers’ COLA was agreed upon after a Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP) met on August 28, 2019.
At the meeting, it was also agreed that the COLA be paid to members of the health service with effect from August 1, 2019.
In a statement to our Harare Bureau last night, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said funds have since been released for the payment of the COLA, which was disbursed through the normal salary payment system.
“Government availed resources for the implementation of the agreed Cost of Living Adjustment.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care confirms that health workers have been paid COLA through the normal salary disbursement channels today (yesterday) the 4th of September 2019,” reads the statement.
Government and civil servants’ representatives agreed a cost of living adjustment pegged between 55 and 76 percent on a sliding scale, which will see the least paid worker taking home $1 023 per month.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi also told the National Assembly during the question and answer session yesterday that most civil servants will start getting their increments this week.
Minister Ziyambi is also the leader of Government business in Parliament.
The increments were awarded by Government last month as part of efforts to address the cost of living concerns of its workers.
Said Minister Ziyambi: “We deliberated on this issue as Government and the Minister of Finance (Professor Mthuli Ncube) undertook that the civil servants will be paid their increments before schools open or by the end of this week.
“I believe there are some who have already received their increments.”
Schools are expected to re-open for the third term next Tuesday.
Minister Ziyambi reiterated that negotiations with employees would continue to further improve their welfare. “We agreed on that increment but negotiations are ongoing. We are looking holistically at the plight of all civil servants because Government is committed to improve the welfare of all workers,” he said.
The offer by Government confirms its commitment to ensuring that workers are cushioned from unjustified price increases of goods and services.
Online Reporter