THE APEX Council yesterday blasted government for insincerity and failure to consult civil servants on issues to do with their salaries and working conditions, leaving them to rely on newspapers for updates on bonus payment dates.
by VENERANDA LANGA
In her address to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander described civil servants’ relationship with government had deteriorated to that of master-servant one.
“This follows the adoption of the Civil Service Audit Report by Cabinet without any due consultation with the workers. Further to that, the Public Service Commission has rushed to implement the report again without any due regard of the workers’ legitimate right to consult and be consulted, a complete negation of the constitutionally-enshrined rights of workers and ILO conventions,” Alexander said.
“Government lacks commitment to honest dialogue and a complete disregard of proper rules of engagement and workers feel that government has decided to punish them for its own economic indiscipline and mismanagement,” she said.
Alexander added: “The situation our civil servants find themselves in creates bad ground for unfavourable behaviour like corruption. We have pay dates shifted, but we have a very dedicated civil service which religiously works even if the environment does not allow that.”
College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president David Dzatsunga said although they do not condone poor service delivery by civil servants, government should play its part and honour its pledge to increase civil servants’ wages in tandem with the poverty datum line.
“If you have a maid and you are not paying her, do not be surprised if she spits on your food.
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That is how disgruntled civil servants are,” Dzatsunga said.
Apex Council spokesperson George Mushipe, said Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000 which criminalises income generation by civil servants should be repealed.
“President Robert Mugabe talks about empowerment, but civil servants are not being empowered. Why criminalise income generation. We would even be productive if we get farms,” Mushipe said.
President of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) Richard Gundane said government had a backlog in paying even funeral assistance for dead civil servants.
The civil servants union leaders also called on government to speedily harmonise the Public Service Act and align it with the new Constitution to allow for collective bargaining.
“All posts and promotions should be unfrozen and any adjustments to the employment regimen should be a product of engagement. Government should move to operationalise agreements on non-monetary incentives by providing land for housing to staff associations.”
