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The workers’ representatives met PM Tsvangirai yesterday at his Munhumutapa offices.
Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro also attended the meeting.

The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, Progressive Teac-hers’ Union of Zimbabwe, Public Service Association and Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe were represented at the meeting.
PSA president Mrs Cecilia Alexander confirmed the meeting, saying the workers indicated to PM Tsvangirai that civil servants expected a pay rise before the end of the year.

She said the meeting was at PM Tsvangirai’s invitation.
“We have just been in a meeting with the Prime Minister. He wanted to establish the problems between us and the employer that led to the demonstration (last month),” she said.

Hundreds of civil servants last month besieged Minister Mukonoweshuro’s office at Kaguvi Building after staging a peaceful march from Rotten Row.
The workers were protesting against Government’s alleged delay in response to their grievances over salaries and poor working conditions.

Mrs Alexander said civil servants were unhappy with the lack of dialogue between them and their employer. Civil servants last met their employer in March.
“The Prime Minister said Government is sensitive about our plight, but finances do not allow them to review our salaries. He said he would organise a forum where we will meet the Minister of Finance (Tendai Biti). We told him that we were expecting an increment by end of the year,” she said.

Mrs Alexander said Minister Mukonoweshuro was not in a position to comment on the possibility of a pay rise this year.  “It was not a negotiating meeting. We were sharing ideas. We were saying whether there is money or not, let us come to the table and talk. Salaries cannot be increased when there is no dialogue,” she added.

Mrs Alexander said the Government should start thinking of non-monetary incentives like housing stands or loans for civil servants.
Apex Council chairperson Mrs Tendai Chikowore also attended the meeting.

“The Prime Minister was just assuring us that there is a process being done by Government to resolve the issue of salaries,” she said.
Mrs Chikowore said PM Tsvangirai wanted to get their views on the issue.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jameson Timba would not comment on the matter yesterday, referring all questions to Minister Mukonoweshuro.
When contacted for comment, Minister Mukonoweshuro could neither confirm nor deny the meeting.