GOVERNMENT yesterday tabled a $100 advance salary offer to each of its unpaid civil servants, as it moved to avert a crippling strike over delayed June wages, and insisted that the balances would only be paid next month as Treasury coffers were dry.
BY EVERSON MUSHAVA
Addressing journalists following a marathon meeting with civil servants union leaders in Harare, Public Service minister Prisca Mupfumira said the $100 offer was to enable government employees to continue reporting for duty, while Treasury mobilised funds to pay the salary debt.
“After deliberations, government has offered to pay $100 as advance payment by Friday to alleviate the challenge of bus fare so that civil servants report to work,” she said.
“We will be encouraging the use of plastic money with effect from July and also adopt the use of a multi-currency system so that banks are in a position to give out all the currencies that are allowed in the country.”
Workers’ representatives said they were going to consult their constituencies before accepting the offer, with Apex Council boss, Cecelia Alexander saying they would continue pushing for their June salaries to be paid this month.
According to new pay dates announced last week, soldiers and air force officers were supposed to have received their salaries yesterday, followed by police and prison officers on Thursday
The education sector will be paid on July 7 followed by health workers and the rest of the civil service on July 14. Pensioners will get their dues on July 19.
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Yesterday’s meeting was attended by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa, ICT minister Supa Mandiwanzira and central bank governor, John Mangudya.
The meeting was a follow-up to the June 22 crisis indaba that ended in a deadlock.
