The Zimbabwean
Written by Natasha Hove
Monday, 18 January
Education Minister, David Coltart, has referred the issue of teachers’ salaries to the country’s Cabinet to avert strike action.
Coltart told The Zimbabwean that he was referring the issue to Cabinet when it resumed sitting today to avoid strike action that would cripple the education sector. “We cannot afford to have another industrial action at a time when we are still trying to revive our education sector. 2010 cannot be another wasted academic year,†said Coltart.
Teacher unions, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) last week dismissed the government’s wage increase to US$230 as inadequate and paltry. Teachers and other civil servants are currently earning salaries ranging between US$150 and US$180 depending on grade, yet the poverty datum line stands at US$495