The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) has urged its members to return to work before the current nationwide strike degenerates into a serious conflict with the government.
In a statement following a National Executive meeting held on Saturday, ZIMTA said its members living near schools or with less financial burdens should report for duty Monday.
The executive, which analyzed government’s 20% salary increases, housing and accommodation allowances, and other proposed benefits, said some of the perks unveiled by the Public Service Commission were a good starting point for ending the week-long strike.
The statement read in part, “With more finer details of the awards continuing to be exposed, we believe our members will understand the desire to de-escalate this tiff before it crosses the rubicon of peace and degenerate into a full industrial conflict. Thus, we plead with members, in particular those within school environs or are within reach and without heavy financial challenges to give our learners a chance to get back to school and commence lessons as soon as is practically possible.
“The National Executive agreed to approach Government inside the next 24 hours so that the whole scale suspension of teachers and members can be lifted following which members shall be comfortable in reporting for duty. Meanwhile, we appeal and urge Government to avoid stoking the furnace by applying retributive measures and at the same time be considerate of the teachers’ response time, that may include waiting for the payday for some teachers.”
ZIMTA further said, “We take this action to preserve good will and utmost good faith in education and its personnel, while we continue to negotiate with all the relevant authorities.”
In its analysis of the government’s proposed salary increases and other allowances, the ZIMTA National Executive, which is made up of 26 elected members and five appointed officers, concluded that the Zimbabwean component of the pay raise for a person in the low teaching grade represented an equivalent of US$200 at the obtaining auction floor rate.
At the same time, ZIMTA said, “The USD component as adjusted from March 2022 and made up of salary + Covid allowance will be USD$175. This will give a total of USD$375 movement towards the restoration of the pre-October 2018 salary level of USD$540 for D1 grade then. This will represent 69%.
“Discounted for current inflation and as set in the ZIMTA demand for 2022, of USD $671 this movement would represent 55% of the distance covered towards minimum poverty line. De-bunching/decompression of salaries whose provision has been made by Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, and to be applied with immediate effect has an effect of compounding the ZWL offer and improve it beyond 20%.”
ZIMTA also noted that the transport offer has an effect of reducing pressure on the net salary by at least US$100.
ZIMTA added that the school fees subsidy has also an effect of reducing pressure on one’s net salary by at most ZWL$60,000.00.
The National Executive “acknowledged that these principles should be put in the kit, while like ‘Oliver Twist’, we go back for some more as NJNC (National Joint Negotiating Committee) resolved to pursue quarterly reviews.”
On the other hand, the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) says its members won’t return to work until their grievances are met.
Lovejoy Sibanda, PTUZ secretary for young teachers, said, “Nothing has changed and therefore we are not going back to work.”
Education Minister Evelyn Ndlovu announced last week that all striking teachers have been suspended without pay for three months.
Ndlovu said the suspended teachers should not interfere with school operations.