Government set to table new salary offer for Civil Servants

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Government set to table new salary offer for Civil Servants. The new offer comes as negotiations between the government and civil servants continue following a deadlock in March when workers rejected a 25 percent salary increase and periodic increment offer.

A government-constituted technical team is this week expected to table a report that will determine a new salary offer for civil servants.

Some workers such as teachers responded by unilaterally reducing the number of days they were reporting for duty claiming incapacitation prompting the Government to introduce a no work no pay policy.

Despite the deadlock, the Government in May implemented the adjustment that saw the lowest paid worker being paid US$205 equivalent on the interbank exchange rate in April, while another 45 percent review will be effected at the end of June.

Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima told Sunday News Saturday that he was hopeful the government and employees will agree on the salaries this time around. He said:

For now, our technical people are compiling a report on the issue, once it is done we will look at it as a ministry then we go back to the negotiating table with Government workers. As you might know, this will be the third session of these negotiations, therefore, we are hopeful that this time around we will reach an agreement for progress sake.

Civil servants have been pushing for the restoration of their 2018 salaries when they were being paid around US$500. They have since 2019 embarked on frequent protests prompting the government to introduce a cocktail of measures to cushion them from the bumps of life.

The government introduced ZUPCO buses to reduce workers’ transport costs; cost of living adjustment (COLA); housing programmes to enable workers to have access to decent accommodation, and other initiatives that have so far failed to impress the workers.

– Pindula News