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The meeting comes at a time when there has been conflicting statements regarding the issue of civil servants’ salaries with Finance Minister Tendai Biti announcing a freeze on the salaries but this was dismissed a week later by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who said Cabinet does not have such a policy. Prime Minister Tsvangirai said Government was instead committed to improving salaries of civil servants.

Minister Biti had reportedly told a special Cabinet meeting  that civil servants’ salaries and recruitment were to be frozen until the economy improved.  Civil servants’ unions warned Minister Biti against freezing  their salaries saying doing so was inviting their wrath. The unions said Government could not take such a drastic decision without engaging them.

Now that Government is meeting the civil servants unions tomorrow, its position should  be clearly spelt out to avoid confusion as is the case now. The Government as the employer is the one that has invited civil servants representatives to a meeting to discuss salaries and conditions of services and we have no reason to doubt that Government has something on  the table.

It was Government which promised to review its workers’ salaries this month and tomorrow’s meeting is probably meant to discuss and agree on percentage increases. The civil servants through Apex Council, a body that brings together civil servants’ unions, had written to President Mugabe asking him to intervene following a stalemate in their negotiations with Government negotiators.

Civil servants, we have said it before, have been patient for too long and it is time Government starts paying them living wages. Many of these civil servants are qualified professionals who cannot be expected to continue being paid peanuts. It is not in dispute that the economy is performing below expectations but we believe with some sacrifice, the Government can pay slightly better salaries.

Government will invite the wrath of civil servants if tomorrow’s meeting turns out to be another round of talks without tangible results as has been the case in the past. We have already alluded to the fact that it is Government which has initiated tomorrow’s meeting and as such it should have something on the table to offer its workers.

The civil servants are demanding $538 a month for the least paid worker which is the Poverty Datum Line and Government should have been working towards such a figure given that the civil servants spelt out their position a long time ago. The Government has a challenge to retain highly qualified personnel who in turn guarantee efficient service in the public service and this is only possible if Government pays attractive salaries.

In the past Government used to be the employer of choice and there is need to work towards achieving this status. When the Government and civil servants meet tomorrow there is need to ensure that both parties negotiate in good faith. The parties should be transparent and open to each other so that the workers representatives can make demands from an informed position.