Source: Govt mum on teachers’ distress petitions – The Standard
GOVERNMENT is yet to respond to a petition submitted by teachers when schools opened for the second term where they were demanding a salary increase and improved working conditions.
Unions representing teachers petitioned the Finance ministry as well as the Public Service Commission (PSC) demanding a formal response on their grievances.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) had earlier on submitted a similar petition before the schools opened.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) later sent a delegation to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office requesting his intervention over salaries and various challenges bedevilling the education sector.
The PTUZ delegation did not meet Mnangagwa, but submitted a petition in which they warned him that the education system was crumbling under his watch.
Teachers are decrying low salaries and are demanding the government to pay them at least US$540, which they earned before October 2018.
Currently, teachers earn an average of US$250 per month and around ZWL3 000.
PTUZ president, Takavafira Zhou, told The Standard that they were miffed by the government silence over their grievances that threaten to collapse the education sector.
“As PTUZ, we think we have done our best to appraise the government of the urgent need to pay teachers well in order to enhance intrinsic motivation that triggers their dynamism, innovation and industrialisation, let alone sustainable public quality education in Zimbabwe,” Zhou said.
Zhou said they encouraged binding collective bargaining in line with section 65 and International Labour Organisation Conventions 87 and 98 so as to promote industrial harmony and productivity, but without success.
“Sadly, our efforts have not been corroborated by the government that has remained intransigent and irresponsible to the effect that a government team has declared to workers through National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) that the government has nothing to offer to its workers,” he said.
“Teaching is the mother of all other professions and deserves better.
“This is no time for grandstanding and renegadeism we see from quarters sponsored by conservative forces to stifle logical disputation and calls for better salaries and conditions of service. It is no time for empty promises and homiletic bellicose.”
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) leader, Obert Masaraure, said it was disheartening that the plight of teachers was being ignored.
“They have all the money to fund executive luxuries including expensive cars but nothing for the hard working workers running the nation,” Masaraure said.
“Public services including healthcare and education are not a priority for the current government since the public officials consume exotic elite services abroad, of course funded by taxpayers money.”
Masaraure said they are “in the trenches mobilizing all citizens to save our public services from collapsing.”
“We are confident that we will soon reach a point when the whole civil service will erupt demanding labour justice.”
Zimta chief executive, Sifiso Ndlovu, said there was discontentment about the levels of remuneration in the teaching profession.
“The national executive (of Zimta) has been in and out of consultative meetings in search of salary resolution by the employer,” he said.
“Two high level meetings and other behind the scenes lobby meetings have been held.”
No comment could be obtained from the PSC.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro, referred The Standard to the PSC for comment.
Government has had several negotiations with its workers under NJNC, but the engagements have often ended in deadlock.
The education sector suffers from years of underfunding and neglect.
Zimbabwean eachers earn an average of US$250 per month and around ZWL3 000.
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