(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Zimbabwean civil servants have on Wednesday, accepted a 76 per cent salary adjustment offered by the government with effect from Aug. 1.
The state media reported that negotiations for higher wages are still on.
The Herald newspaper reported that the least-paid worker will now earn 1,023 Zimbabwean dollars (about 102 U.S. dollars or 37,000 naira) per month, up from 582 Zimbabwean dollars per month.
The decision to accept the government offer followed a meeting between the civil servants’ umbrella representative body, the Apex Council, and government representatives.
The civil servants umbrella body was led by the Secretary for Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Simon Masanga at a National Joint Negotiating Council meeting on Tuesday.
Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander said that a cost of living adjustment of the total package would be implemented from beginning of August.
Alexander said they had provisionally agreed to the offer while they continued with negotiations.
“It must be reiterated that this is a provisional agreement meant first and foremost to allow the government to cushion its impoverished civil servants.
“Our substantive demand of 4,750 dollars, which is benchmarked against the interbank rate, still stands and negotiations still continue towards that end,” she said.
The government had offered the 76 per cent cost of living adjustment which the Apex Council neither rejected nor accepted.
The council, however, went back to consult with its members and on Tuesday gave the feedback that sealed the deal.
However, teachers on Monday rejected the offer, insisting that the employer paid them nothing more than 4,600 Zimbabwe dollars per month, which the government said it could not afford. (Xinhua/NAN)
