Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Ptuz) President, Dr Takavafira M. Zhou says teachers are not on strike but are incapacitated and ready to report for duty when their salaries are increased.
In a statement, Dr Zhou said teachers need money in order to report for duty.
“For the avoidance of doubt teachers are not on strike but are incapacitated. We remain ready to report for work any day and any hour provided we are capacitated.
“We certainly don’t grow money like some form of vegetable that you can get from the garden to cook.
“We are not some magicians that can fly to work, neither are we thieves who can steal in order to go to our stations.” He said.
Ptuz urged the government to at least pay teachers the ZW$30 000 that they are paying to soldiers and police.
“If gvt want schools to successfully open, it is prudent to urgently pay the 30 000 that they paid to soldiers, CIO and police without negotiation. We can then negotiate for the difference when teachers are at work” The statement read.
Teachers are advocating for a salary increase of US$520-US$550 or rtgs equivalent.
DR Zhou said teachers are not afraid of the government’s threat that they will replace teachers who are incapacitated.
“We realise that the Ministry has turned to empty threats of replacing incapacitated teachers by the 3000 they recruited. How can such a number replace 140 000 teachers, we wonder? For the record there is no threat greater than poverty, misery and penury.
“But the gvt cannot underpay teachers in order to incapacitate them, and fire them. We certainly have a dispute of right against the gvt and will always defend our rights by all lawful means possible.” The statement further read.
Schools opened yesterday for examination classes and the rest of the classes will open on 22 March.