Teachers pin hopes on new govt

The Secretary General of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, said efforts to negotiate better salaries for teachers were met with huge obstacles.

There is consensus among teachers that they need to resolve their differences around the leadership of the Apex Council first.

Civil servants have been involved in a bitter row over the control of the Apex Council, which brings together civil servants unions for salary negotiations with government.

Since August last year, the Apex Council has been rocked by leadership wrangles following the election of College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president, David Dzatsunga, as Chairperson.

The Public Service Association boycotted the elections, saying they were unconstitutional and has since then refused to endorse the Apex Council leadership.

There are allegations among teachers’ unions loyal to the current Apex leadership that the PSA, itself a member of the Council, is running a parallel structure and has approached the government as a separate entity over salary negotiations.

Another school of thought believes the government has used the power wrangles at the Council to avoid meaningful negotiations. The Minister of Public Service, Lucia Matibenga, declared that civil servants should put their house in order before engaging with the government over salary negotiations.

Majongwe said teachers would up the pressure on the next government after the coming elections to honor their pledge to improve the working conditions of teachers.

“Both parties (the MDC-T and Zanu (PF)” have promised us heaven on earth after elections and we are going to hold them responsible for that. We will give the next government 60 days within which to prove to us that there is a clear roadmap about the issue of improving our salaries.

“Our first demand is that we should get salaries that are in line with the poverty datum line. We will not accept anything below $600. There is enough wealth in this country so how can teachers here be earning less than those in less developed countries,” said Majongwe.

The lowest paid government worker earns around $393 at a time the poverty datum line is pegged at around $600.

Majongwe said that the issue of collective bargaining was stagnant during the period of the Government of National Unity.

“There were no meaningful negotiations at all. When Mukonoweshuro came, he did nothing and when Matibenga came, it was worse. I think we need a clear statutory instrument that would make the issue of collective bargaining a reality,” said Majongwe.