The Zimbabwe Teachers Association said Friday that its members will go on strike next week as a new school term opens to press the government for higher wages, but the rival Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe did not back the proposed action.
ZIMTA announced its latest action demanding an increase in teacher salaries of up to US$700 a month compared with the current entry level wage of US$170.
But the Progressive Teachers Union, which is demanding US$454 a month, says its members will remain in classrooms next week, arguing that the government might respond to a strike with dismissals as it did last week to force an end to a strike by hospital doctors.
Progressive Teachers Union President Raymond Majongwe told reporter Sandra Nyaira of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that teachers are divided so a strike is likely to fail.