The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said the pre-election period was ideal for engaging in job action as it would force the government to negotiate their salaries. The Zimbabwe Teachers Association is opting for diplomacy. PTUZ Secretary General, Raymond Majongwe, told The Zimbabwean that his union was in the process of mobilising its members for “job action”.
“We are intensifying our outreach campaigns to our members because we know that if we do not get the money before the elections, we will not get it any time soon. The problem is that some of the trade unions are now politically aligned,” said Majongwe.
He said it was unacceptable for the government to claim it had no money to award teachers salary increments. “What is happening to the diamond money? Are we saying that the wealth of this country should be enjoyed by the army and others in positions of power? The country’s resources are for all of us not a selected few,” said Majongwe.
The PTUZ, TUZ and ZIMTA fall under the Apex Council, a body that brings together civil servant unions in salary negotiations with the government. However, the Apex Council has been rocked by leadership squabbles following the election of College Lecturers Association President, David Dzatsunga, in August last year.
The Public Service Association, which falls under the Apex Council as well, boycotted the elections and has since refused to recognise the current Apex Council leadership on the grounds that it was elected in an unconstitutional manner.
There are allegations among unions within the Apex Council that the PSA is running a parallel structure to engage the government over salary negotiations.
Others believe the PSA is receiving political support in its bid to have its President, Cecilia Alexander, recognised as the Apex Council Chairperson. The government has since written to the Apex Council, telling it to put its house in order first before meaningful salary negotiations could take place. Teachers earn between $256-$304 a month. The Poverty Datum Line is pegged at around $600.
With no end in sight, job action has become the only viable option for the PTUZ and TUZ. The Secretary General of the TUZ, Ottoman Magaya, said that a series of futile attempts to negotiate with the government meant that job action was their only option.
“We should prove we are at the helm and influence our people to engage in job action,” said Magaya.
Incoming President of ZIMTA, Richard Gundani, admitted that the pre-electoral environment was the ideal time to push for better salaries. “This is the right time to push for better salaries. We had a conference that made it clear that the government needs to resolve this issue,” he said.
Post published in: News