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The workers earlier this week wrote to the Minister requesting for the meeting.
Apex council chairperson Mr David Dzatsunga yesterday said the workers needed an explanation on why Government failed to effect the increase it promised to award the workers this month.
Government promised to effect a 5,5 percent inflation-related increment on the workers’ salaries this month, but failed.
“This is good news and we will know how to move forward because for the whole of last year, we did not meet any Government official over the issue of salaries,” Mr Dzatsunga said.
“What we need is the Government’s position on salaries and working conditions because our members are in the dark at the moment. They were expecting an increase, which they never saw.”
Government has been mum over the issue insisting that the Apex Council was not properly constituted and there was no one to hold salary negotiations with.
The term of office of the old committee, led by Zimta president Mrs Tendai Chikowore, expired in February last year.
The unions held elections that brought in the Dzatsunga-led executive.
However, the Public Service Association, a union that represents most of the workers, who are not in the education sector, dismissed the elections, as “unconstitutional”.
Since then the unions have been embroiled in a leadership wrangle that saw negotiations with Government collapsing.
Because of the wrangles unions were now meeting Government separately.
The lowest paid Government employee is getting $296 per month while the poverty datum line is hovering at $600.
Civil servants have been calling for a salary increase since 2009 without success.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has repeatedly told them that Government was broke and salaries would be increased when revenue inflows improved.
Minister Biti said the 5,5 percent inflation-related increment he promised the workers would push the civil service wage bill to $2,6 billion including grant-aided institutions.
This is about 68 percent of the total expenditure. Last year’s wage was $1,4 billion a month.
Online Reporter