Civil servants’ unions under the Apex Council yesterday, continued to dig in with their demand that they be paid on time rejecting Governments proposal to shift their pay dates.
The deadlock between government and the civil servants has continued with a meeting to be held today by the parties under threat. The meeting is to be attended by three Cabinet ministers and Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya to discuss circumstances surrounding the deferment of June 2016 pay dates.
“We have now been formally invited to that meeting tomorrow (today) in the afternoon,” said Apex Council team leader, Mrs Cecelia Alexander.
“The agenda of the meeting, according to the invitation, centres on the issue of pay dates. We will hear what they say before making our own interventions, but our stance is that we are not going to accept this move of making our salaries come mid-next month.
“We are also going to tell them that we will not be responsible for any action the workers will take if they fail to get their money this month.”
Government last Friday shifted pay dates for civil servants in a move that will see teachers and nurses being paid on July 7 and 14, respectively.
Members of the uniformed forces will get their salaries between June 27 and 30.
Government invited its workers to an indaba on Monday, but the employees rejected saying they could not attend an indaba where they had been summoned “telephonically”.
Dr Mangudya, Ministers Patrick Chinamasa (Finance and Economic Development), Prisca Mupfumira (Public Labour and Social Welfare), Dr David Parirenyatwa (Health and Child Care) and CSC officials waited for the workers, but to no avail.
Minister Mupfumira said Government revenue flows were limited because production in industry was low.
“Government is not producing much for export. Industry is not moving according to plan and this means low revenue.
“Government has been trying to borrow money to pay people without productivity. Government is trying at least to pay workers, it might be delayed but it will be paid.” Herald