Published by the government of Zimbabwe
9 February 2010
Harare — THE civil service strike entered its fourth day yesterday with union leaders vowing to hold rallies in every city and major town this week to drum up support for the strike as Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukono-weshuro stuck to his guns yesterday, making no fresh overtures to rescue the situation.
Minister Mukonoweshuro described the strike decision as premature saying the negotiating process had not been exhausted.
"The ministry remains ready to discuss on the new position they brought to the National Joint Negotiating Council," he said.
The minister said civil servants initially demanded US$602 inclusive of transport and housing allowances, but reduced it to US$502 on Friday.
"I hope we will be in a position to call for a meeting with the staff associations to find a solution that is mutually acceptable to everyone," Minister Mukonoweshuro said.
There was no indication at the time of writing when such a meeting was likely with members of the public urging the three parties in Government to find common ground on economic sanctions to ensure that the fiscus comes back in the black.
The Government offered quarterly salary reviews from January and has set aside US$4 million to that end.
Minister Mukonoweshuro, however, said Government had no resources to meet civil servants' demands.
Union leaders said the strike would continue until Government was "committed to paying adequate salaries".
The unions yesterday held a rally in Bulawayo with a similar gathering slated for Gweru today.
"Bulawayo endorsed the Harare declaration and we are going ahead with the strike up until the Government is able to judge the impact of the industrial action," said Zim-babwe Teachers' Association president Mrs Tendai Chikore.
Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe added: "We are not going back with our action. We will only give dialogue a chance if they (Government) give us something reasonable or if they agree to pay the utility bills for us."
Public Service Association president Mrs Cecilia Alexander and Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawo said only a "sufficient increment" could end the strike.
In most high-density suburbs, teachers did not report for duty and students were turned away as early as 8am.
"We do not want to betray our fellows, so we are going to work in unity with other civil servants.
"We dismissed the students early so that Government sees that there is no going back," said a teacher at Glen Norah High 2 School.
Mhofu Primary School head Mr Lawrence Guzha said they had met parents whose children attend the Highfield school and agreed on a set of incentives to ensure classes are not disrupted.
It was business as usual at Vainona, Prince Edward and Queen Elizabeth high schools.
Skeletal staff manned a number of Gover-nment ministries.
Buses that daily ferry civil servants to and from work were conspicuously absent from the usual pick-up and drop-off points.
The High and Supreme courts were closed, meaning Justice Chinembiri Bhunu had to indefinitely postpone MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett's terrorism trial.
Security staff advised people that the courts would not open.
Master of the High Court Mr Charles Nyatanga, who was at work, said: "The judiciary is served by civil servants and we are adversely affected by the ongoing strike.
"We (senior staff) are taking lawyers whose matters have been already set down for today to the chambers where they are either formally deferred or determined. We are actually acting as the judges' clerks.
"Lawyers are advised to check with the Registrar of the High Court on how their cases shall go.
"This directly affects our backlogs. We already have a backlog when the courts were
normally operating and this will obviously multiply considering that there is virtually no business."
However, the Rotten Row magistrates' courts were functioning.
Finance Ministry employees also reported for work, with some of them saying they understood Government's fiscal position.
"I appreciate the situation and I know that if I go on strike, nothing will come up at the end of the day.
"We were involved in the whole budget and know that there is no way the Government can afford to pay US$600.
"Government is the biggest employer in this country and most of its money is generated from revenue collection.
Those in the ministries of Defence, Home Affairs and other security-linked portfolios also reported for duty.
In Chinhoyi it was business as usual as most civil servants reported for duty amid confusion on the way forward.
Civil servants said they were not formerly told what to do.
"We only heard on television and in newspapers that there was going to be a strike. I think we will know in a few days," said a civil servant who preferred anonymity.
Unionists distributed flyers in Masvingo calling on State employees not to report for duty.
Some civil servants subsequently locked their offices and went home though most remained behind their desks until close of normal business hours.
The country's ports of entry and exit were also reported to be functioning.
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