There are serious fallout brewing between unions representing teachers over differences in tactics to force the government to give in to their demands when schools open tomorrow.
The friction led to the unions splitting into two different camps – the Federation of Zimbabwe Teachers Union (FUZEO) and the Federation of Zimbabwe Teachers Union (FUZEO).
Fuzio’s members are the Integrated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz), the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ), the Visually Impaired Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the Professional Teachers Union of Zimbabwe.
Under Feuz, there are the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Ptuz), Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ), Zimbabwe Democratic Teachers Union (ZDTU), Zimbabwe National Teachers Union (ZiNEU), and National Teachers in Zimbabwe. Union (Zinatu), Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Union (Zeroto) and Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads (ZINUSH).
Fuzio’s party has announced a workers’ strike when schools open tomorrow to pressure the government to pay teachers a minimum wage of US$1,260.
However, FUSE, which has a majority of teacher representatives, said its members would attend the service to make room for dialogue.
Fuse is demanding a minimum wage of $840.
Teachers’ union leaders exchanged accusations as the government refused to surrender to their demands, describing those who chose dialogue as treason.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Ptuz) has withdrawn from Fuzio following its decision not to negotiate for better salaries under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).
Fuzio chief Obert Masaror, who is also the president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUS), said they cannot negotiate with the government because there is no forum for such negotiations.
“We are not part of the NJNC because its establishment is unconstitutional,” Masarore said.
“Our position at Fuzio is that we do not participate in the NJNC because it is a scam.”
Fazio said in a statement on Friday that it decided during the Labor Day celebrations to call on its members to put down their tools as schools reopen tomorrow.
But teachers represented by Fuse said their members would report for duty tomorrow.
Fuse leader Akunini Maphosa, who is also the Zimta president, said they believe in progressive negotiations with the government for better salaries.
“We in Fuse do not have any attack position at the moment,” Maphosa said. Our position is that unions should conduct their consultations. We are still following the negotiation path where we talk to the government and push for better salaries.
“We want $840 as a base salary. We believe consultations are the way to go at the moment.”
PTOS general secretary Raymond Magongwe said the union had not apologized for leaving Fuzio.
“We believe in collective efforts,” he added. “We must speak with one voice instead of going our separate ways. We need to unite workers.
“We are a very small working class, so if we want to create this many fragments, we are not doing justice to our cause. The employer will be threatened if we speak with one voice and act cooperatively.”
The government in March offered teachers and other civil servants a US$20 salary increase and other incentives, such as free school fees for their children and housing loans.
But the teachers rejected this offer and described it as unimportant.
In 2022, authorities suspended striking teachers for three months without pay due to a wage dispute.
The dispute over wages dates back to October 2018, when the government stopped paying teachers in US dollars and switched to the Zimbabwean dollar, which was reintroduced in 2019.
