Govt remains defiant over bonus issue despite threats by civil servants to hold strike

Government yesterday said it will continue carrying out a survey on whether or not civil servants want residential stands for their 2016 bonuses despite threats by Apex Council to stage a demonstration starting Monday 6 March.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira told The Herald that the survey being conducted by the Civil Service Commission will inform Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa on what decision to take. Mupfumira also said the employer had a right to solicit for worker’s views as not all civil servants were unionised. Said Mupfumira:

We expect the results from the CSC survey tomorrow (today) and this is for Minister Chinamasa to get a view of what people are saying on the ground. We felt the views of those outside Apex Council have to be captured also, hence the survey and this is helpful to both parties. We will simply tell Minister Chinamasa to consider what would have come out of the survey. They can threaten to strike, but as long as they follow laid down procedures there is no problem. We will continue to dialogue with them and we do not tolerate threats.

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