GOVERNMENT has increased civil servants’ salaries by a massive 76 percent, a development that will see the lowest paid worker earning $1 023 up from $582.

A statement released yesterday by the Apex Council, which was signed by both president Mrs Cecilia Alexander and her deputy Mr Thomas Muzondo, read: “Following the rejection of a 10 percent Government offer by the Apex Council, the NJNC meeting convened today, 23 August 2019, saw Government move their offer to 76 percent of the total package with effect from the 1st of August 2019.

“The offer does not meet the stated position of the workers, which is pegged at $4 750 for the least paid civil servant. According to this development, the lowest paid worker is expected to take home $1 023 up from $582”.

Mrs Alexander said the Apex Council requested for time to consult its members over the salary increase offer.

“We are going back to consult our members; we don’t have the mandate to accept that $1 023 offer, so we are going back to our members. We are going to meet on Tuesday (next week). Once our members have given us a go-ahead – we are messengers – we will accept and if they say no, we will also communicate that accordingly.”

The latest salary increment comes at a time when Government has said all civil servants will get their bonuses for the year in November, with Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube conceding that since the introduction of Statutory Instrument (SI) 142 of 2019, also known as Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (Legal Tender) Regulations, wage and salary erosion was now a big challenge, hence the need to continuously adjust wages and salaries.State media