Maravi

MDC-T blames Mugabe for civil service pay crisis

MDC-T blames Mugabe for civil service pay crisis
by Staff Reporter
22/01/2011 00:00:00

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party has blamed its coalition partners in Zanu PF for the country’s civil service pay crisis as state employees threaten a potentially disastrous walk-out on Monday.

Talks between the government and civil service unions collapsed with no agreement on Thursday leaving open the prospect of a nation-wide strike that could be a major blow to the country’s still-recovering economy.

And as pressure mounts, Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party– which oversees the social and economic affairs portfolios in the coalition administration -- claimed that Zanu PF was responsible for the crisis.

In a statement issued on Saturday following a meeting of the party’s national executive meeting the party said it “noted the destructive role being played by the Zanu PF side of the inclusive government in the quest to redress the concerns of the civil servants”.

The party also claimed there was no accountability in the use of proceeds from the sale of diamonds from the eastern Marange district..

“The Executive further noted the lack of accountability in the management of the proceeds from the sale of diamonds in Chiadzwa to address the plight of the civil servants,” the statement read.

“The Executive called for all the proceeds from the sale of diamonds to be channeled towards the civil servants and not to line private pockets as is currently the case.”

But Public Service Minister, Eliphas Mukonoweshuro – who is also a senior official in the MDC-T – earlier told state media that diamond sales were not bringing in “enough money to transform the lives of government employees” anyway.

Still, the party further claimed that Zanu PF had worsened the problem by massing the ranks of the civil service with thousands of “ghost workers”.

“The Executive also called for the immediate action on all ghost workers, Zanu PF functionaries smuggled into civil service as youth and women officers in every ward in the country.

“Further, the Executive called for the release of the Public Service audit without delay as well the immediate cessation of all new recruitments of soldiers and other civil servants until the plight of the existing civil service is addressed,” the party said.

Unions representing the civil service have rejected pay rises of between US$6 and US$9 announced by Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, last week.

The salary review, rejected as an insult across the board, will see the least paid government worker paid US$128 up from US$122.

The highest paid civil servant will be paid US$241.

Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 4:11 PM