THE drive by Apex Council – the civil servants’ umbrella body — to coalesce its forces and call for a nationwide industrial action hit a snag on Tuesday after its executive members absconded the decisive meeting where they were supposed to finalise the plan.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER
The meeting was aborted due to lack of a quorum.
“The Apex Council meeting was aborted because there was no quorum,” Zimbabwe Teachers’ Union (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said.
“We are yet to be advised by the (organising) committee when we are likely to reconvene.”
The civil servants have since last year been threatening to down tools citing, among other grievances, the late payment of the 2014 bonuses, late submission of union dues, lack of action on non-monetary benefits, delayed establishment of the Public Service Collective Bargaining Council and the 2015 position paper on salaries and conditions of service for government workers.
Apex Council team leader Richard Gundane, who is also Zimta national president, had earlier indicated that the date of the industrial action would be announced in due course.
A fully constituted Apex Council met on January 8 and decided to embark on a strike although no date was proposed then.
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Gundane said the decision was “a purely labour position” meant to deal with labour issues and should not be interpreted otherwise.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe, however, accused other members of the council of dancing to government’s tune.
Ndlovu said at a recent meeting with Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora, it was agreed that there was need to establish a Teaching Professions Council or Teaching Services Board.
“This will help in weeding out unprofessional elements that have been associated with discredited actions,” he said, adding that this would be done through the realignment of the Education Act and other relevant statutory provisions.
