Public service salaries to be reviewed in June

PUBLIC service salaries will be reviewed in June with the least paid worker expected to get about double the US$128 they are currently earning, according to reports from Harare, Zimbabwe's capital. 
The news came after a three-hour meeting at State House in Harare between President Mugabe and representatives of civil servants' unions.
The latter said President Mugabe had said the lowest earner could expect about half the present poverty datum line (PDL). 
The unions had demanded a minimum PDL-based salary of US$502. 
The secretary-general of the Apex Council, the representative body of Government employees' unions, Cecilia Alexander said President Mugabe pledged that their salaries would be reviewed in June. 
President Mugabe told the media he was touched by civil servants' plight and would do everything in his power to address their conditions of service. 
"It (the meeting) went on very smoothly and I listened to the problems that they have, mainly their conditions of service and the non-monetary benefits which they are not getting. 
"Their salaries are very poor and we sympathise with them," President Mugabe said. 
President Mugabe said the low salaries were a result of the poor economic performance attributed to the illegal Western economic sanctions on Zimbabwe. 
He said while Government workers had accepted half of the US$502 they had asked for, the State would do all it could to further improve the situation. 
"The economy has not been performing and we have not collected enough revenue as we would want. 
"They are talking of getting to 50 percent of the PDL and even that is a disgraceful figure, I have said I will help, they deserve better," he said. 
Alexander said President Mugabe had asked them to be patient until June. 
"He said the Government had not treated civil servants fairly and promised to look into the matter. He asked us to wait until June. 
"We have come from very far and we will wait until June. 
"He said the money is not there but said he will use powers vested in him to convince those who control the purse to release the money," she said. 
Alexander said President Mugabe had explained that economic mal-performance was behind the poor remuneration. 
She said civil servants were patriotic citizens but the low salaries were compromising service delivery and encouraging corruption. 
"We are doing our best but we are compromised by the low salaries," she said. Civil servants have been agitating for improved working conditions since the beginning of the year. 
On the sidelines of the African Union Summit in January, President Mugabe promised to improve civil servants' salaries using revenue inflows from diamond sales. 
However, Finance Minister Tendai Biti has claimed he does not have the diamond money in Treasury despite the Mines and Mining Development Ministry and the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation providing evidence millions of dollars had been remitted. 
Yesterday's meeting was attended by all civil servants representatives; who include the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Government Workers Association, Government Officers Association, Civil Service Employees Association and the Zimbabwe Nurses Association.