No Work No Pay Labor Principle For Teachers On Course
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa says the government is now enforcing the no pay no work labor principle for teachers.
Minister Monica Mutsvangwa confirmed this yesterday after the Cabinet meeting adding that the Public Service Commission would now be implementing this policy.
“Government reiterates that it will strictly apply the no-work no-pay labour principle to all cases of teacher absenteeism, and the responsible ministry has compiled and submitted a list of teachers that did not conduct lessons in March to the Public Service Commission. The April list is being compiled,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
The list of teachers who skipped lessons last month has been sent by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to the Public Service Commission while the list of teachers missing from their classrooms this month is being collected as Government moves to enforce the policy of no-work no-pay.
However negotiations are on-going, Government unilaterally raised civil service salaries 25 percent this month with a further 50 percent to be effected in June as it follows its other policy of boosting salaries as its revenues rise.
More so on its meetings with employees, Government has outlined the fiscal constraints, many emanating from a prolonged economic shutdown owing to the lockdown measures instituted to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, during which revenue generation was reduced.
Meanwhile the Government has the twin policies of ensuring long-term growth by ensuring recurrent expenditure, which includes salaries, are paid out of taxes, without borrowing or printing money, but will keep the slice of revenue devoted to pay roughly constant, meaning pay rises as tax revenues rise.
Despite the competing needs, and this includes the additions to the health budget to fight Covid-19 and buy vaccines, Government has remained committed to fulfilling the payment of salaries and benefits to all civil servants, including those that were sent home during the long periods of high level national lockdown.
Recently Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Cain Mathema warned striking teachers over their continuous absence from work and directed school authorities to submit names of teachers who have not been reporting for duty since the reopening of schools.
Nevertheless Last week, Government urged teachers and other civil servants to carry out their duties normally while negotiations with their representatives for a salary adjustment continue. But it was also made clear that the Government was implementing the standard global procedure of not paying those who were not at work without lawful excuse.
