GOVERNMENT claims to have started paying cost of living adjustment (COLA) to civil servants, with striking doctors and their fellow health workers said to be the first group to receive their dues yesterday.
The health workers’ COLA offer which was rejected by doctors was offered after a Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP) met on August 28, 2019 and was supposed to have been effected under dispute on the 1st of August.
In a statement last night, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said funds have since been released for the payment of the COLA, which was disbursed through the normal salary payment system.
“Government availed resources for the implementation of the agreed Cost of Living Adjustment.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care confirms that health workers have been paid COLA through the normal salary disbursement channels today (yesterday) the 4th of September 2019,” reads the statement.
Government offered civil servants’ representatives a cost of living adjustment pegged between 55 and 76 percent on a sliding scale, which will see the least paid worker taking home $1 023 per month while workers insist on a minimum wage of $4000.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi also told the National Assembly during the question and answer session yesterday that most civil servants will start getting their increments this week.
Minister Ziyambi is also the leader of Government business in Parliament.
The increments were awarded by Government last month as part of efforts to address the cost of living concerns of its workers.
Said Minister Ziyambi: “We deliberated on this issue as Government and the Minister of Finance (Professor Mthuli Ncube) undertook that the civil servants will be paid their increments before schools open or by the end of this week.
“I believe there are some who have already received their increments.”
Schools are expected to re-open for the third term next Tuesday.
Minister Ziyambi reiterated that negotiations with employees would continue to further improve their welfare. “We agreed on that increment but negotiations are ongoing. We are looking holistically at the plight of all civil servants because Government is committed to improve the welfare of all workers,” he said.
Doctors have since gone on a strike at all major government hospitals over the disputed salaries with government issuing a revised offer that doctors have not yet responded to.