THE government will offer civil servants a new pay deal on Wednesday in a bid to end a strike which has already hit the country’s education sector with nurses and other health workers threatening to join the job action.
Under-fire Public Service Minister Lucia Matibenga said the deal would be revealed at tomorrow’s meeting of the National Joint Negotiating Council which brings together the government and unions representing state workers.
“Government now has a position paper on salaries and conditions of service for Public Servants which will be presented to the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) on Wednesday 25 January, 2012,” Matibenga said in a statement released on Monday.
“As Minister, I would like to express my appreciation to all Public Servants who have stayed on the job and served the public despite the hardships under which they are operating.”
State workers started a five-day strike on Monday, frustrated with the lack of progress in talks over a salary increase with the government.
Unions are pressing for across-the-board pay increases, including a raise from $200 to $538 a month for the lowest-paid government workers, medical insurance and an allowance for workers based in rural areas.
The job action appeared to get off to a slow start on Monday with schoolchildren being turned away at some schools in Harare and Chitungwiza with similar situations reported in other major towns such as Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, and Mutare.
Business appeared to go on as usual at some government offices and the major hospitals although nurses associations threatened to join the job action if ongoing talks with the Health Service Board are not successful.
Still, the Apex council – which brings together the teachers unions and public service association – claimed the first day of the strike had been a “resounding success”.
"In an effort to build on the momentum gathered, Apex Council will do picketing at a few Government offices, schools and colleges, which have remained pockets of resistance,” the council said in a statement.
"The strike will demonstrate the seriousness and resolve workers can take on bread and butter issues."
A government spokesman said Acting President John Nkomo last week met Finance Minister, Tendai Biti over the issue. Biti has insisted that the government does not have the resources to meet civil servants demands with salaries alone already accounting for more 60 percent of overall expenditure.
"The Presidency is very close to this whole process, principally out of concern for the welfare of the workforce and also because the Presidency wants to ensure continuous supply of public services," information secretary George Charamba said in a statement.
"During the meeting, it was agreed that there was need to approximate the salaries towards the Poverty Datum Line equally appreciating constraints Government is facing by way of shrinkage of revenue.”
The government was hoping to use part of US$600 million in additional revenue expected from diamond sales this year to improve the working conditions of its employees.
"There was recognition of possibilities within the country's means, especially an uninterrupted transaction related to the mining sector, principally diamond resources,” Charamba said.
"Should this be allowed to operate unimpeded from external forces, then we should be able to bring better comfort to the workers."