Wednesday’s meeting between government officials and representatives of the Apex Council, an umbrella body representing Zimbabwe’s about 305,000 civil servants, comes in the wake of a 48-hour ultimatum given to the cash-strapped government by its employees.
Negotiations between civil servants and the government ended prematurely on Monday after union representatives stormed out of the meeting, accusing their employer of not being committed to improving their welfare.
The civil servants are demanding US$1,733 for the least paid worker, up from around US$414.
Government recently offered a 22.7-percent cushioning allowance and 5 percent per month to its workers on a sliding scale between January and March, but the offer was shot down as pittance.
The civil servants have threatened to go on strike unless the government meets their demands, which include payment in United States dollars.
Teachers at Zimbabwe’s state-run schools have already announced that they plan to stop working from February 5 if the government does not accede to their demands.
They are arguing that only a hefty salary increase would help them stave off spiralling inflation and an economic crisis that has sapped supplies of cash, fuel and medicines.