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Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said consensus had been reached on the matter.
PM Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka confirmed the three principals – President Mugabe, Mr Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara – met last Wednesday and endorsed the agreement made by parties to the National Joint Negotiating Council.

He said the principals agreed that the issue of salaries should be treated as a matter of urgency.
“There was consensus on the issue.

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• Principals endorse civil service pay increase

“When they (principals) met on Wednesday, the issue of salaries was among one of the major issues and there was an agreement to give the matter of the hardworking and patient workers the urgency it deserves. This is a matter being handled by the principals.”

Chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda has already stated that Cabinet and the three principals approved the recently announced salary structures.
The increment will see the lowest-paid Government worker getting US$253 effective this month, up from US$128.
An announcement by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet on Cabinet issues means that it will be a binding and official Government position.
However, Minister Mukonoweshuro maintains that he would make an official announcement after Cabinet deliberates on the matter.

He said the process of negotiating was ongoing and figures announced by Apex Council were “leaked” to the media.
“I will announce, at the appropriate time as the responsible minister, if there are any developments but as far as I am concerned, we are still negotiating,” he said.

Minister Mukonoweshuro was yesterday also quoted by online media as saying announcements by Apex Council and several Government officials were “highly irregular and unprecedented”.
He accused Apex Council chairperson Mrs Tendai Chikowore of “priding herself and leaking such sensitive information”.

“I can understand the frustration of the Minister of Finance. When asked he says he doesn’t know about it. Of course, he is right.
“He could only know about it if he had heard Cabinet being addressed by the minister of the Public Service but otherwise he would not know about it from irresponsible leaks like the one you have just referred to (Mrs Chikowore’s),” he told SW Radio Africa.

There has been confusion over civil servants’ salaries since the NJNC announced that the salaries had been reviewed upwards.
PM Tsvangirai and Minister Mukonoweshuro have announced that no agreement has been reached on civil servants salaries.

PM Tsvangirai was also quoted in some media reports last weekend saying Cabinet had not approved the reviews.
Minister Mukonoweshuro on the other hand has been saying negotiations over salaries were still in progress.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has also insisted that there is no money to increase public servants’ salaries.
Last Wednesday, Minister Biti told the GPA principals that the salary review would not be sustainable.
In his presentation to the principals titled, “Public Service Remuneration Review Implications”, Minister Biti argued that the review would increase the monthly civil service wage bill by US$29 million.