By Own Correspondent

REPRESENTATIVES from the government and the civil servants are currently locked up in salary increment negotiations but indications at hand are that workers may not have much to bargain out of the engagements.

Currently taking home a net salary of US$270 and ZWG 1 700, civil servants are reeling under intense pressure to make ends meet in an increasingly dollarized economy.

In a recent update, the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) said the government is stalling negotiations progress.

“The National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) met on the 20th of September 2024 at Kaguvi building, Harare to discuss on the feedback of the consultations made by the Government team of negotiators from their principals.

“On the previous meeting which was held on the 11th of September 2024, the Government had brought an offer which we did not accept. In today’s meeting, the Government maintained its initial offer.

“In light of the above, ZCPSTU would want to inform its stakeholders that it has not accepted the offer and urged the Government to improve the envelope. It has also made a resolution to take the matter to higher offices for further engagement,” the umbrella organ said in a statement.

Workers in Zimbabwe have been forced to swallow the bitter pill of hardships on the back of policies not reflecting the will of the poor. Minimum salaries remain at their least at a time when basic survival costs are continuing on an upward terrain.