Civil servants announce two day strike, after salary negotiations with government fall through – NewZimbabwe.com

By Thandiwe Garusa

CIVIL servants have announced a nationwide, two-day strike set for 27 and 28 July 2022, citing incapacitation.

The strike follows failure by government to address their demands of US dollar salaries. not less than US$840 per month for the least paid. Currently their salaries are less than US$100 if converted on the black market.

Civil servants’ unions had promised to go on industrial action last week Monday before giving government a week to put its house in order.

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In a letter written to the minister of public service Paul Mavima, Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) also demanded an end to government’s purge on those who went on strike three weeks ago.

NewZimbabwe.com reported on the intended purge, two weeks ago.

“ZCPSTU hereby notify your office of a planned two day job stoppage commencing on Wednesday 27 July 2022, ending on Thursday 28 July 2022.

“This follows the elapse of our 14-day notice to your office which made demands on the employer, which to date have not been addressed,” the letter reads.

Added the letter: “We wish to restate the demands as follows; a restoration of the value of our wages to pre-October 2018 levels, to be paid in USD and not in ZWL with immediate effect, a stop to the wave of suspensions, summary dismissals, illegal disallowances and victimisation of teachers and nurses for exercising their constitutional right to organize and to a fair and reasonable wage.

“The payment of a medical allowance to all civil servants without discrimination, the employer should desist from the bashing of union leadership for exercising their representative roles as messengers of their voiceless membership, the employer should speedily implement all collective agreements fully as in school fees payment for the children of educators, regrading and performance advancement and a speedy alignment of the labour law regime towards the establishment of a long overdue collective bargaining council, the statement reads.”