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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GOVERNMENT and the civil servants’ negotiations ended in a stalemate following a virtual meeting held yesterday.

Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima confirmed yesterday’s meeting but said no agreement had been reached as yet.

“I can confirm that the NJNC met virtually today to find common ground on issues such as updates on Government Employees Mutual Savings (Gems) Fund and feedback on the cost-of-living adjustment. I cannot discuss what transpired exactly but no agreement was reached and the meeting had been adjourned to a later date so that the parties could consult their constituencies. A date for the next meeting will be advised but this is the first step towards finding each other,” he said.

Apex Council deputy secretary-general Mr Gibson Mushangu said Government had offered them a 25 percent salary increase, which they rejected.

“The Government’s offer does not even whisper to our demands which we have been tabling since we started negotiations post the dollarised era of October 2018. In today’s meeting, the Government tabled a 25 percent offer with effect from 1 April 2021 against the 151 percent offer accorded to other sectors,” he said.

Last year Government tasked the NJNC to come up with a roadmap leading to a salary structure for civil servants that will be equivalent to an average of US$550 that was being paid when civil servants were being paid in foreign currency.