The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ has rejected the outcome of the  National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting that was held on Friday in which the government offered civil servants a salary increment of up to 97 percent which will see the lowest paid worker earning a monthly salary of over two thousand Zimbabwe dollars.
“The negotiating process was fatally flawed and the outcome failed to meet the legitimate expectations of our members.” ARTUZ said in a statement yesterday.
Teachers are demanding a salary increase of USD520 and have been on strike since schools opened after the Covid 19 induced lockdown on November 28.
Teachers said they call for the government to allow education sectors to independently negotiate for themselves on negotiation platforms rather than let other sectors who they described as “flawed” to continue speaking for them.
“We call for the realignment of labour laws to comply with the new constitution and the establishment of a sector specific negotiating platform. Education sector workers should be allowed to independently represent themselves in negotiations. The current hybrid structure is flawed and denies us an opportunity to push for sector specific issues.
“The current APEX council leadership structure must be urgently dissolved and the body be completely disbanded.”
Students at government and council schools are being sent back home from schools as teachers are failing to conduct lessons.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana said government will soon start paying civil servants bonuses but teachers on strike will not get paid.
“Government will this week start paying civil servants’ salaries and bonuses. Minister Paul Mavima said if teachers do not report for duty, Government will not pay them bonuses as well as their salaries.” said Nick Mangwana.
