HARARE - In what has been dubbed the battle among unions, the uncoordinated strike action by teachers countrywide has exposed divisions between the two major teachers unions, the Zimbabwe Teachers Union (Zimta) and the Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) along what observers say are political lines. (Pictured: PTUZ President, Takavafira Zhou)
The PTUZ has accused Zimta of causing divisions in the countrys education sector by monopolizing the teachers struggle as confusion continues to mar the strike. Zimta President Tendai Chikowore said the position of Zimta regarding the teachers strike remained the same. Our position as Zimta is that we are on strike and it will continue until our demands are met. It is not true that we are politically aligned. Zimta was formed in 1942, long before Zanu (PF) or MDC were formed. We do not care which government is in power; all we advocate for are the needs of the teachers. The current government has failed to address the needs and issues of the people that is why we are on strike. Negotiations have failed so we are engaging in industrial action, she said. Chikowore said her organisation respected their fellow union PTUZ and said they also expected the same respect in return. We are not fighting them, we are actually fighting for the same agenda, and that is for the betterment of all teachers countrywide. They have their own way of doing things and we have our own, she said.
PTUZ President, Takavafira Zhou criticised the approach that Zimta was using and expressed fears that their members might lose their jobs in the same way doctors were suspended.
He said the position of PTUZ as far as the teachers strike was concerned was that teachers should go back to the classrooms while the Government was looking into their plight.
He lashed out at Zimta, accusing it monopolizing the struggle for teachers as if it was the sole teachers union in the country. We are boggled by the way Zimta is handling issues. Zimta is monopolizing the teachers struggle. They boycotted the meeting with the Minister of Finance because other unions were also invited. That was very unreasonable. We should synchronise our position and come up with consensus and have a national approach to the problems facing our members.
They (Zimta) should know that we are dealing with a very insensitive Inclusive Government that fired doctors. What guarantee is there that teachers will not also be fired? We want an industrial action that is going to bring a win-win situation to us and our members and therefore a multiplicity approach is called for, said Zhou. Teachers are demanding a review of their salaries and allowances which they want to be adjusted progressively towards the poverty datum line last month quoted at US$502 by December 2009. Currently teachers are earning US$155, itself an increase on the allowance of US$100 paid to all civil servants since the formation of the unity government last February. Zimta is also asking government to relax requirements for teachers returning to the service, and for all outstanding applications for affected teachers to be immediately processed and their salaries paid within 30 days of their reinstatement.
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