Teachers have rejected the government’s meager 6.66% cost of living adjustment, saying they want a significant pay rise.
The government increased the current cost of living of US$300 by US$20 to US$320, a figure deemed insufficient and out of touch with the economic reality facing teachers.
Zimbabwe Progressive Teachers Union secretary-general, Raymond Magongwe, accused the government of ignoring the harsh realities faced by teachers.
“We want to make it clear that the above numbers are meaningless and far from our expectations. The government has turned a blind eye to the facts on the ground. Teachers are suffering due to poor salaries. As if this were enough, the government has imposed and continues to impose punitive taxes which further erode the meager salaries of teachers, yet the government offers pathetic salary adjustments.
“As PTUZ, we want to send a clear message to the government and President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the Second Republic is yet to fulfill its promises to workers in general and teachers in particular. The slogan of leaving no one behind seems to refer to others and not workers/teachers as they have been left behind since October 2018 They have been tracking ever since.
Magongwe also revealed that teachers are receiving notices from funeral insurance service providers indicating that their salaries in local currency are no longer sufficient to cover the deductions.
In a letter dated 14 March, Zimbabwe Teachers Association National Secretary General Goodwill Taderera condemned the rushed nature of union meetings with government representatives and the lack of opportunity for meaningful discussion.
He added: “This meeting was held in a hurry and there was no room to discuss positions. He closed an in-depth analysis of the economic experiences of workers. “As a result of the lack of understanding of the workers’ opinions and the low remuneration, the workers’ team refused to accept the offer but allowed the employer to pay non-agreed amounts,” Taderera said.
“There is still more work to be done with a planned consultation workshop on the civil service salary dilemma.”
The education sector has been engaged in a long battle as teachers across the country call for better working conditions and want their salaries restored to pre-October 2018 levels of $540 for the lowest paid employee.
The government says it does not have the resources to pay these amounts. Newsday
