A confrontation has erupted between disgruntled public prosecutors and the Public Service Commission (PSC) after the latter refused to meet the law officers over salary grievances.
The Zimbabwe Law Officers’ Association (Ziloa), which represents prosecutors in the country, wrote to the PSC requesting a meeting to address their grievances over low salaries.
However, in response to Ziloa, the PSC referred the law officers to the Apex Council, which represents government employees.
“The Public Service Commission has noted your concern. Please be advised that the proper procedure for your grievance if you are a registered association would be to go through the Apex Council which is the recognised umbrella body for all public service associations.
“It is this registered council that will then table your grievance at the National Joint Negotiation Council,” PSC secretary Pretty Sunguro said. On Friday, Ziloa wrote back to PSC warning them of the dire consequences if they did not entertain the request.
“May you please take note that we are not mandated to join or associate with labour movements as you suggested in your letter, we are sui generis. We are the State. We still stand by our letter dated September 14 2011. If you do not want to meet us, so be it. The inevitable will happen,” said Ziloa secretary-general, Derek Charamba.
Ziloa said it was disappointed that the PSC had reneged on its undertaking to award salary increments to prosecutors and law officers as it did to magistrates early this year.
Prosecutors based outside Harare have already started a go-slow which will be upgraded to a strike if their grievances are not heard.
