Government bonus, pay negotiations off

not entertain the civil ser­vants as long as there were two fac­tions claiming leadership of the Apex Council.

He wrote to the workers’ unions ordering them to put their house in order first.

The unions intended to meet Gov­ernment for salary negotiations and to be apprised on how bonuses would be paid this year.

The Apex Council has been haunted by a leadership dispute after College Lecturers Association of Zim­babwe president Mr David Dzatsunga was elected new chairperson in August.

He took over from Zimta president Mrs Tendai Chikowore.
The Public Service Association, led by Mrs Cecelia Alexander, that repre­sents most Government workers not in the education sector, boycotted the polls saying they were unconstitu­tional.

The warring parties are now approaching Government separately purporting to be legitimate represen­tatives of the civil servants.
The workers are seeking a meeting with Government over an update on salaries and annual bonuses.
“The Minister would wish that the matter of the Apex Council represen­tation be resolved as soon as possible to avoid a situation where two groups from staff associations purport to rep­resent the Apex Council,” said Mr Sisi­mayi.

“Therefore, you are advised to meet with your counterparts to reach a con­sensus on the proper composition of the Apex Council.
“It is important to appreciate that any delays in resolving your differ­ences undermine your own mandate in the view of your membership.”

Mr Sisimayi said Government would not entertain one group at the expense of the other as “required by the International Labour Organisation conventions 87 and 98 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and Collective Bar­gaining respectively.”

But the civil servants unions accused Public Service Minister Lucia Matibenga of dabbling in issues that did not concern her.
“She is misdirecting herself and it seems she is taking sides. The names were forwarded to her and by now we should be meeting her,” said Progres­sive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe sec­retary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe.

“She should clearly state if that is her personal, a Cabinet or an MDC-T position.”
Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said: “She seems to be supporting PSA probably because it is an affiliate of a ZCTU faction which she (Matibenga) belongs to. All we want from her is an update on bread and butter issues.”

Mr Dzatsunga said the composition of the Apex Council was “none of Minister Matibenga’s business”.
“She is trying to delay an inevitable meeting by talking about peripheral issues and we will not accept that.”
Zimta chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said it was in the best interest of the workers if the unions spoke with one voice.

“Government wants all unions included and we should all work col­lectively. If there is no solution at the moment then the old committee should continue because progress has been blocked by the impasse,” he said.
“We cannot fight for positions while the workers suffer.”

PSA president Mrs Cecelia Alexan­der dismissed as “nonsense” reports that her union was conniving with Minister Matibenga.
“This is not a political issue and has nothing to do with ZCTU. The coun­cil is not properly constituted and that is what should be resolved,” she said.

Civil servants have been struggling to get a “decent” salary increase which tallies with the poverty datum line since the introduction of multiple cur­rencies in 2009.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently said the payment of civil ser­vants bonuses was in doubt this year because of lack of money.