Government has brought forward January pay dates for civil servants to cushion them from the prevailing economic challenges emanating from price distortions in the market.

This comes as Government today meets civil servants’ representatives where the employer is expected to table a cost of living adjustment and other non-monetary incentives for its workers.

Civil Service Commission chairman Dr Vincent Hungwe yesterday said members of the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Prisons and Correctional Service, Zimbabwe Republic Police would get their salaries on Monday next week.

Those in the education and health sectors will also be paid on Monday.

The rest of the civil service and pensioners will be paid on Wednesday.

“Following the commitments that emerged from the consultative meeting held by Government, the Apex Council and representatives of the other public service staff associations on the 7th of January 2019 in Harare, Government wishes to confirm that the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting will take place at 1200 hrs on Thursday, 10 January 2019 in Harare,” Dr Hungwe said.

“The purpose of NJNC meeting is for the Government to formally present its feedback to issues raised by the Apex Council at their last meeting of 7 December 2018. Government fully expects that the partners in the NJNC will focus their undivided attention on delivering effective responses to the challenges arising out of the current distortions in the market.”

He added: “In pursuit of the urgent need to address these challenges, Government has since brought forward the January 2019 pay dates for the different workers in the public sector.”

Dr Hungwe said Government appreciated the role played by civil servants in service delivery.

“Government recognises and appreciates the readiness of the social partners to urgently discus concrete proposals to support and capacitate public sector workers to deliver services that the nation needs within mutually recognised and sustainable parameters,” he said.

A preliminary consultative meeting between Government and its workers was held on Monday and the employer acknowledged the difficulties the were facing.