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Negotiating Council yesterday failed to come up with any figures.
Officials in the Ministry of Finance, speaking on condition of anonymity, yesterday indicated that a civil service increment was in the pipeline.

The Apex Council and Government representatives met yesterday with the workers’ body expecting to get feedback on how much the State was prepared to give its workers.
Civil servants representatives, the Apex Council, recently petitioned the Government on their expectations.

The representatives recently met President Mugabe to air their grievances after Finance Minister Tendai Biti indicated that there would be no salary increment citing fiscal constraints.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces indicated that from this month the civil servants could expect the lowest earner to get double the US$128 they were earning.

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In an interview after the meeting yesterday, Apex Council chairperson, Mrs Tendai Chikowore, said the Government representatives had not given them any figures, but hinted that negotiations were still in progress.
“We had a meeting with Government representatives, but they did not give any specific figures. They told us that a lot of work has been done with regards to consultations with the Office of the President.

“They told us that the matter was getting attention at the highest level,” Mrs Chikowore said.
She, however, said the workers made it clear to Government representatives that they were expecting the consultations to be completed as a matter of urgency.

“We reminded Government representatives that we are in June and thus we expect their consultations to be completed as soon as possible.
“We therefore call on our members to be patient as we give them time to consult, but we are expecting feedback very soon,” Mrs Chikowore said.

A senior official at the Ministry of Finance, who spoke on condition of anonymity, yesterday said consultations were going on, indicating that there could be an increment for Government workers.
“Consultations within Government are currently under-way over the issue of civil servants’ salaries. I cannot say how much is involved, but I am sure there will be something for them,” the source said.

Efforts to get a comment from the head of Government in the JNC, Mr Prince Mupazviriho, were fruitless as his phone went unanswered.