Zanu-PF has hijacked the civil servants strike: MDC-T

CIVIL servants have warned that government operations, including offices, schools and hospitals will come to a standstill from tomorrow as they embark on a one-week strike to press for better salaries.

MDC-T said yesterday it feared that Zanu PF had hijacked the strike and was using some union leaders to attack the party and some of its ministers instead of addressing the concerns of the civil servants as a united government.

Apex Council chairperson, Tendayi Chikowore, said civil servants were pressing ahead with the five-day strike despite overtures made by the government for a meeting on Wednesday this week.

Chikowore denied that unions were being influenced to go on strike by Zanu PF. She said the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) where she is the president, had been calling for strikes in the past including one in 2008 which led massive victimisation of teachers by Zanu PF supporters and officials. "As a trade union, we are looking at the GNU as a whole and not at Zanu PF or MDC," said Chikowore.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZNA) president Regina Smith said health workers would also join their counterparts in the civil service unless the Health Services Board  addresses their demands for an increase in salaries, housing, transport and other allowances.

Chikowore said civil servants had exhausted all channels to have their grievances addressed and accused the Minister of Public Service, Lucia Matibenga, a former trade unionist herself, of snubbing them.