“The Pubic Service Association categorically states that the employer has taken us for a ride for a long time, abusing our loyalty and therefore we will be compelled to give an ultimatum preceding a countrywide industrial action, if the employer continues to pay a deaf eye to our concerns,” said Cecilia Alexander Khowa the PSA President in a statement.

“We have been patient enough in order to make the Inclusive Government work and be able to produce results that will be emulated by both the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the world at large, but it looks like the Government is ignoring the machinery that is supposed to produce results for the Inclusive Government to succeed”.

The PSA says it is not happy with the manner in which the inclusive government is handling salary negotiations for civil servants, accusing it of employing divide and rule tactics.

“The PSA is deeply disturbed and concerned about the manner in which salaries and conditions of service are being determined,” said Khowa.

“We take great exception in the divide and rule practice by Government where some sectors have decided to flout the rules of the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC)”.

Of concern to the PSA is the manner in which civil servant’s salaries are being negotiated in a sectoral manner. The PSA cited the separate negotiations that teachers and nurses are undertaking at the expense of other civil servants.

“It appears the Public Service Commission has delegated all the responsibilities on salaries and conditions of service to service ministries resulting in paralyzing our legal negotiating forum, NJNC,” said Khowa.

“We take great exception in the manner the rest of the civil servants have been ignored in as far as their salaries and conditions of services are concerned.”

Source: RadioVOP