There was no progress at the pay talks between the government and civil servants today after the government sent junior officers who could not make any decisions. Civil servants want a minimum wage of US$543 which is in line with the poverty datum line set by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe. The government did not have any figure. The talks are likely to resume in January. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said in his 2014 budget that the government will raise the salaries of civil servants to the current poverty datum line but this would be staggered to leave room for continued funding of government operations. The government will also improve the welfare of civil servants through the provision of non-monetary benefits in such areas as housing.
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