Source: Govt, teachers in deadlock – DailyNews Live
Andrew Kunambura 8 May 2018
HARARE -The crisis meeting between government and teachers’ unions ended
in deadlock yesterday after government only offered them a 10 percent
increment against their demand of a 100 percent hike.
By the time of going to print last night, the unions were still locked in
caucus meetings to decide on the way forward.
Teachers have threatened not to report for duty when schools open for the
second term today.
Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (Fozeu) spokesperson Takavafira
Zhou confirmed the development last night.
“On salaries and allowances, government is offering a 10 percent increase.
“On this workers’ side we requested to go back and consult constituencies
and meanwhile asked government to go back and try to improve on the 10
percent offer,” he said.
Other commitments made by government include reducing rentals on teachers
staying in school houses to not more than housing allowances, the
establishment of a collective bargaining council, introduction of command
housing and special provisions for civil servants, rural allowance to be
reinstated back to 10 percent, vacation leave for teachers has been
reinstated and accrued leave days will be staggered and paid.
Government, however, refused to scrap import duty on vehicles for civil
servants.
“These are half-hearted measures by government that do not address the
major challenges affecting teachers.
“The only issue that received better attention is the vacation leave.
“Fozeu meeting is now in progress but government’s offer falls far short
of meeting teachers’ minimum expectations,” Zhou said last night.
The planned strike was being pushed by the Progressive Teachers Union
(PTUZ), Zimbabwe Teachers Union and the Amalgamated Rural Teachers of
Zimbabwe (ARTUZ).
The unions broke away from the umbrella civil servants union, the Apex
Council arguing that it no longer represented their interests.
Government is citing resource constraints as its reasons for inability to
meet the teachers’ demands.
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