Zim civil servants unhappy, demand more from govt

After President Mugabe and his government were cornered and forced to make an about turn on the proposed cuts on government workers’ salaries and bonuses, the restive civil servants have turned on the heat as they want more assurance from authorities.

The workers’ representative body, The Apex Council,  yesterday demanded formal communication from the Government assuring them that they will receive their traditional annual bonuses and that their salaries will not be cut.

Speaking to reporters in Harare yesterday Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander demanded written communication and assurance from the government.

“ It’s our view that such a retraction should be communicated officially to the National Joint Negotiating Council. The Apex Council holds every minister collectively responsible for the insensitive, impoverishing and unilateral proposals presented by finance minister,” Mrs Alexander said.

There is an atmosphere of uneasiness in the Zimbabwe civil service after Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said, Government had embarked on a civil service restructuring exercise, which included massive retrenchments, slashing of salaries and bonuses.

Last month, government workers staged mass  stay aways against failure by government to pay their salaries in time.