Teachers’ unions have requested a meeting with the chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC) over teachers’ eroded salaries. They want the meeting held before the 17th of June to prevent a situation whereby the educators would resort to industrial action. A joint statement seen by Pindula News says inflation has eroded teachers’ salaries. Reads the statement:
FEDERATION OF ZIMBABWE EDUCATORS UNIONS (FOZEU)
The Chairperson Public Service Commission NSSA Building
REQUEST FOR A MEETING ON TEACHER CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
The Federation of Zimbabwe Educators’ Unions (FOZEU), writes to request a meeting between your good offices and all teachers’ unions at your convenience, but in the shortest possible time, preferably before 17 June 2022.
It is now a matter of public record that the remuneration of teachers, including all the other civil servants, has been eroded beyond measure as a result of the galloping inflation in the past few months. This has accelerated over the past three weeks to a point where the RTGS component of our remuneration is now meaningless.
It is also clear that this is no longer tenable, and we can not continue with the business-as-usual approach. We are no doubt aware that the official position of the Ministry of Public Service is that negotiations with civil servants are ongoing. But you’re also aware that no meeting has been held since February 2022 to address our conditions of service.
We do not want to end up with a situation where there are spontaneous actions by individual teachers all over the country as a result of the degrading circumstances they now find themselves in. It is, therefore, necessary for your offices to convene a meeting to try and resolve the problem at hand, before it gets out of hand.
We trust that you find our letter in good order.
Yours faithfully
ARTUZ – Robson Chere +263 775643192 EUZ – Tapedza Zhou +263 773612250 PEUZ – Wilson Makanyaire +263 773013406 PTUZ – Raymond Majongwe +263 782702836
I am the same Chawabvunza who commented yesterday. I was inviting adverse comments from other Pindula commentators. Truly speaking numerous unions in the same field of the job has many disadvantages one of which is that the unions will not always speak with one voice. Teachers's problems are compounded by the fact that Ministry of Labour and Services refuses to speak to teachers only, but to the biggest labour union which encompasses all civil servants in which Dzatsunga is the Secretary General and Mrs Alexander is the President. This massive union was formed to further weaken civil servants' bargaining power shown now where teachers seek to bargain alone and nurses sick to bargain alone and the rest of civil servants seek to bargain under the ambrella of Mrs Alexander. Therefore those who say too many split unions spoil the broth are correct. Too often than not citizens have noted that teachers go on strike on their own and nurses and doctors go on strike on their own. Mrs Alexander and Mr Dzatsunga are disadvantaging other unions, fulfilling government's wishes. Without beating about bushes, many unions limit negotiating powers of workers. Workers are always in disarray.
NYIKA INOURAIWA NE MBAVHA DZAYO.
NGAAPINDE HAKE CHAMISA [NHC].
[VOTE CCC FOR REAL CHANGE].
Too many unions representing teachers and most of their leaders are corrupt.
The union leaders are not there to represent teachers, they are more interested in raising their profiles before joining opposition politics.