Talks between Zimbabwean government officials and state workers that were supposed to open on Tuesday were put off for a week until March 23, representatives of the formerly striking public servants said.
Sources said the government told the APEX negotiating council that it needed time to review the situation.
The talks were organized by the Cabinet committee that is responsible for state sector pay issues. It is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
The call for talks was the government’s first move since the strike started early last month. State employees went back to work last week at the instruction of unions and other representative bodies in response to political intimidation around the industrial action, whereupon the Cabinet panel called for mediated talks.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe called the postponement was a government stalling tactic.
But Public Service Association Executive Secretary Emmanuel Tichareva told VOA Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that his organization's negotiators will give the government the benefit of the doubt.
