Business Weekly
19 March 2009
Zimbabwe teacher unions have warned the new government that their members will not be reporting for duty in May if they do not get their salaries in foreign currency.
So far the teachers are just receiving the USd 100 allowance per civil servant while their Zimdollar salary component was not being paid.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe
(PTUZ) on Monday held a meeting with David Coltart, the Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and
Culture, where it emerged that the new government would not be able to improve on February salaries as it was broke.
Sifiso Ndlovu, the chief executive office of ZIMTA, said his organisation had issued Circular Number 10
advising members of the impasse with the government over March salaries. “We have advised the
government that teachers will not be going back to school in May if it fails to top on the USd 100 paid
out in February,” said Ndlovu.
Raymond Majongwe, the secretary general of PTUZ, concurred. “We met the Minister and told him the
government is provoking us to go on strike,” said Majongwe.
He said what had further incensed teachers were revelations that ZANU PF militia and other members of the ZANU PF Women’s League got similar allowances as teachers and other civil servants. “The
government is agitating us to go back on strike. We have registered our concerns with the
minister and have also written to the Minister of Public Service on the failure to hold salary negotiations for March as agreed last month,” he said.
Coltart confirmed meeting the teachers. “Yes we meet and they registered their grievances which the
government is looking into,” he said.
The government last month promised it would improve on the March salaries for all civil servants.
In a circular to its members ZIMTA said failure to secure a concrete and written agreement from
government “with clear milestones that will indicate a gradual incremental salary award as a strategy of working towards a salary level competitive to the region” teachers would not be going back to class in May 2009.
The ZIMTA circular added: “ZIMTA wishes to put it on record that it supports the Government of
National Unity and it is taking these steps to give it up to April 2009 for GNU to jelly up and address
educators legitimate grievances.”
The government is desperately seeking financial injection from the West and the region but indications are that a rescue package has been proving elusive. The South African government has indicated it might bankroll Zimbabwe as it was perusing a proposal submitted by Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
Last year, teachers worked an average 23 days, as they protested poor salaries and working conditions.
This year schools opened late as teachers delayed to go back to work, demanding they be paid in foreign currency. They only went back to work after they had been assured by Coltart that their grievances would be looked into.