The Herald
5 September 2009
Government, teachers’ unions and a United Nations agency are engaged in negotiations to come up with acceptable incentives and conditions of service for schoolteachers.
The three parties yesterday confirmed the ongoing negotiations, but declined to divulge more details on what exactly was being offered to teachers.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe gave the first indication that a deal was in the offing when he made the revelations to cool down the tempers of teachers who had gathered at Harare’s Raylton Sports Club where they were scheduled to meet Education, Arts, Sport and Culture Minister David Coltart and his Finance counterpart Tendai Biti.
The two ministers failed to attend the meeting – at which they were supposed to explain Government’s position on the teachers’ grievances over working conditions — thereby angering the educators who were only pacified when Mr Majongwe said negotiations with the United Nations Children’s Fund were advancing.
However, Mr Majongwe gave the impression that a deal had already been reached and teachers would soon start accessing the cash and kind incentives.
Mr Majongwe said the UN agency had pledged to give each teacher up to US$150 for school fees for their own children as well as provide them with a monthly food hamper, among other incentives.
Minister Coltart and Unicef yesterday both denied these claims, though they indicated negotiations for some sort of package were ongoing.
Unicef communications officer Ms Tsitsi Singizi said the organisation had been approached by the three teachers’ unions – the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe and PTUZ.
“Support to the education sector is one of Unicef’s highest priorities and we recognise the role of teachers and their unions as a critical component of the education system in the country.
“Unicef has, indeed, been approached by the Ministry of Education, Arts, Sport and Culture to consider a request to support the capacity of all three unions.
“We are awaiting the specifics of this request and then we will give them the serious consideration this deserves,” she said.
Minister Coltart said while he was not aware of the support Mr Majongwe claimed had been given to teachers, he had made recommendations to Unicef that they provide funding for the unions given the difficulties that were being faced by their members.
“I made the proposal when I took office for Unicef to assist the unions that were facing collapse since contributions from their members were inadequate.
“The issue of incentives is one that I have raised with donors, although most have indicated that they are not prepared to provide budgetary support that would improve the plight of the teachers,” he said.
Mr Majongwe, whose organisation is urging its members not to take part in the industrial action called for by Zimta, claimed that Unicef had already provided US$40 000 to each of the three teachers’ unions.
He said the UN agency would also buy bicycles for rural teachers with US$500 000 having already been set aside for that purpose.
“Last week all the three organisations were given US$121 000 to support the unions and it was divided equally.
“You can go and ask them (other unions) if they did not receive that money.
“We were also given US$500 000 for bicycles and we agreed that the distribution would be staggered with first
preference being given to those in rural areas,” he said.
Mr Majongwe added that Unicef would also pay school fees for one child of each teacher in the country.
“At the moment, they have agreed to support a single child for each teacher and they will provide US$50 if the child is in primary school, US$100 if the child is in secondary school and US$150 for one who is at tertiary level,” he said.
TUZ chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawo yesterday refuted Mr Majongwe’s claims.
“What (Mr) Majongwe is saying is cause for concern to us. We know him pushing relentlessly for the concerns of teachers, so what has happened to him now?
“We are unaware of that development. We do not have that money. What I know is that proposals have been presented and the meetings we have had have not produced anything so far,” he said.
He refuted suggestions that his union was against the teachers’ industrial action.
“We have been on strike since May 27 and we are happy that our colleagues in Zimta have decided to join us,” he said.
He added that he hoped Ministers Coltart and Biti in their negotiations with donors would not place political manoeuvring above the need to improve conditions for the civil and uniformed services.
Zimta secretary-general Mr Richard Gundani also denied receiving any funding from the UN agency, but confirmed negotiations were in progress.
“We did not get anything from Unicef. There is nothing like that. What has happened is that we have always engaged Unicef and other donors for support,” said Mr Gundani.
However, Mr Majongwe insisted that Unicef had given them money and would also provide buses to ferry teachers in rural areas to urban centres during paydays so that they could access their money quicker.
“It’s not proper as trade unions to call for strikes at a time we have entered a deal with Unicef to provide a package for our members
“We have received money that will help the teachers to cater for their children’s fees. The organisation has also pledged to provide each district with a bus that will be used to ferry teachers during paydays,” he said.
Zimta and TUZ have called on their members to go on strike this term, arguing that they want their salaries increased from the current US$150 to about US$400.
Last week, Minister Biti said Government could not afford an increment at present because of still suppressed revenue inflows.