THE Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has threatened to sue school heads and other government officials allegedly intimidating teachers who downed tools last week in protest over delayed salaries.
Source: PTUZ threatens to sue school heads – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 13, 2016
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
PTUZ president, Takavafira Zhou told NewsDay the union would not accept the intimidation of teachers over the job action, describing the threats as monumental injustice to “our democratic labour rights”.
Teachers and nurses, who participated in last week’s strike, are reportedly being threatened by their superiors.
“As PTUZ, we have several options that include suing individual perpetrators of harassment, mobilising civil servants against these rogue elements and appealing to government to stop this madness forthwith,” Zhou said.
“In a nutshell, we will never accept, as PTUZ, officials who urinate upon us and tell us it’s raining. We are sharpening our instruments of combat, wearing our industrial gear, choosing our targets and battlefield. Such monumental injustice is a threat to our democratic labour rights and will be met with ferocious united and co-ordinated resistance from teachers.”
Civil servants’ unions reportedly raised the issue with government officials on Monday during a meeting to discuss possible pay dates for their July salaries.
“PTUZ has called on its members to report all cases of harassment to the nearest office. We have also called for an urgent Apex Council meeting so that a united front can be taken to defend all members, who heeded our call for a stay away by incapacitated civil servants,” Zhou said.
Civil servants umbrella body, Apex Council leader, Cecilia Alexander, said government representatives described the threats as illegal.
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