The Zimbabwean government yesterday officially expressed its recognition and honour for the #ShutDownZim protest last week which is this week entering into phase two (Wednesday, Thursday).
Allaying fears that it might fail to pay civil servants, the government’s representatives told the National Joint Negotiating Council — a platform that brings together government and civil servants unions to the negotiating table — that mobilisation of resources had been intensified and dates would be unveiled in the next few days.
The government through the state media tacitly denied claims that it was threatening civil servants who took part in the ShutDownZim three-day industrial action last week. It asked the workers’ unions to “bring forward names of workstations where the alleged victimisation took place”.
Speaking after the meeting, Apex Council team leader Mrs Cecilia Alexander was quoted saying constant communication between the two parties would restore workers’ confidence in the employer.
“The issue of the July salaries was on top of the agenda, and the agreement was that by next week, Government would provide us with the dates, and we will communicate that to our members,” she was quoted by the state media saying.
She continued saying, “government also told us that it did not issue a statement, neither is it in a position to punish those who took part in last week’s strike over June salary delays. It seems it was just the work of some overzealous individual who wanted to maximise on the situation. We have agreed that unions compile lists of those who have been victimised and submit to Government for redress.”
The state media reports that teachers and nurses received their June salaries on July 7 and 8 respectively, while the rest of the civil service gets paid on Thursday.