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Mrs Cecilia Alexander

CIVIL servants unions are still consulting their members on the proposals that the Government tabled last month in place of outstanding 2016 bonuses, an official said.

A meeting between the Government and representatives of its workers ended in deadlock last month as the employees rejected any payment, which was not cash as bonus.

The Government had offered unserviced residential stands, half payment of salary or funds raised from bonds, which would be floated. The parties agreed that they would return to consult their stakeholders and meet again on February 20 this year.

Apex Council president Mrs Cecilia Alexander told New Ziana that consultations with Government workers were still going on with a feedback meeting expected sometime next week.

“Consultations with workers are at an advanced stage so we will wait for the next meeting to come up with a position ahead of the meeting with the Government on February 20,” she said.

But Zimbabwe Teachers Union (ZIMTA) chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said teachers were insisting on cash payments.

“Our members insist they want to be paid in cash and Government should know that its contractual obligation is that we should get cash to meet our needs as workers,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu said the Government had also not been clear on how residential stands would be distributed among the thousands of its workers.

“All is not being said about those stands and where do workers get the money to service those stands?” He queried.

Meanwhile, the Association of Rural Teachers has since given the Government notice to go strike in a fortnight unless it pays the outstanding bonuses, with members already on a go slow while waiting to go on a full scale strike to press for payment of the outstanding dues.

The Government last year failed to pay its workforce annual bonuses due to cash flow challenges. The Government wage bill chews up $200 million per month, translating to about 80 percent of collected revenue. Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa last year hinted at the possibility of retrenching some of the Government workers. —  New Ziana