PUBLIC Service Minister Lucia Matibenga has launched an astonishing attack on public sector unions, accusing them of working with Zanu PF to undermine negotiations with striking civil servants.

Matibenga’s attack comes after unions Wednesday rejected a US$240-million blanket offer from government which -- if spread evenly among the 230,000 state employees – would have seen each receive an $87 a month increase, far less than their demand for basic wages to rise from US$200 to US$538 a month for the lowest paid worker.

In a statement released Friday through her MDC-T party, Matibenga claimed that some “rogue unionists” and “false negotiators” were being used by Zanu PF to make a settlement with the workers impossible.

“People should not think that I have bags or trunks of money in my office. An inter-ministerial committee is working flat out to solve the issue,” she said.

“As a former trade unionist, I understand the plight and grievances of the workers and I feel I should be fighting from their corner.  I can recite their problems in my dreams.”

The under-fire minister dismissed allegations she was refusing to negotiate with the unions, insisting her role was only to facilitate talks between the workers and their employer, the Public Service Commission.

“Unfortunately I can’t negotiate for the workers. The arena for the negotiations is the National Joint Negotiating Council,” she said.

“I am facilitating that the workers’ representatives have access to the relevant authorities and this I have done.”

The government says it does not have the resources to meet the workers demands with Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, warning at more than 62 percent of overall expenditure, the civil service wage bill is already unsustainable.

Still, Matibenga said she was hopeful an agreement would be reached.

“I want to salute the workers who are working under very difficult conditions.  Most of them have refused to be used by false negotiators.”