Teachers are crying foul, demanding a salary increase from the government saying they are not slaves and therefore deserve to earn enough salaries.
In an interview with 263times, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general Mr Raymond Majongwe said they have raised a lot of issues to the government and as long as the government fails to meet the teachers grievances, there would be a massive failure by teachers to return to work when schools open on 15 March.
“We have raised a lot of issues amongst them, there is the issue of salaries and teacher welfare, we are simply saying that the government should consider a salary increment and we honestly offer professional service to the country.’’ Mr Majongwe said.
Teachers are demanding a salary increment of USD$520 or rtgs equivalent.
‘’We go back exactly to where we were last year, where we were saying we were on the USD$520 trajectory, pay us what we are worth,
‘’We are saying to the government your employees are not slaves, we are just servants serving a very unsympathetic master, we are saying we are of big value to the country and as far as we are concerned in the whole of the civil servants teachers are the least and lowest payed and this says a story about what government perceives about us.’’ Mr Majongwe added.
Furthermore, teachers blame the state for being inconsiderate by giving teachers an impossible mission of opening schools on 15 March when teachers are failing to send their own children to school.
‘’The government should consider teachers’ welfare, as far as the situation stands teachers cant afford to send their own kids to school,
‘’Failing to pay their rentals they can not even take care of their medical expenses and many other utilities bills they have to pay us a good salary.’’ Mr Majongwe said.
Teachers are promising that if the government meet their grievances they will honestly offer their best services and go back to work.
‘’A better payed worker offers better quality services, the zero percent pass rate we are talking about will be a thing of the past,
‘’Give us the money and will produce the results.’’ Said Mr Majongwe.
The Cabinet on Tuesday announced a phased reopening of schools after the Covid 19 induced break, with the examination classes that are supposed to report for classes on 15 March while the rest of the classes will open a week later.
