By 
As teachers and government deadlock continues, parents have been urged not to interfere with the two parties’ talks amid revelations that they have resorted to remunerate the former with incentives.
Teachers have vowed to bunk lessons until their salary grievances are met. They are asking for at least USD$520 or local currency equivalent to the prevailing foreign currency auction rate.
Apparently, the government is reluctant to meet their demands after it threatened to replace them with more than 20 000 unemployed teachers.
The government’s posture even after dangled a 40% cost of living adjustment to its restive workers, teachers did not give in and went on to spurn the offer, insisting on a negotiated deal.
Teachers are now blaming parents for giving them false hope after it emerged that some teachers are receiving incentives from well-wishers.
In an audio doing rounds on WhatsApp groups, one teacher only identified as Tafadzwa is heard saying:
“We have noted that parents have begun to organise themselves because of the crisis as their children are about to write and teachers did not show up, we would like to request humbly that as you plan your solution please avoid incentives for it will divide teachers.”
“Teachers are making a call to their employer which is genuine for a salary and when you come in and begin to talk about incentives you will divide what teachers are planning as a permanent solution,” Tafadzwa added.
She also noted that there are some teachers who have access to parents’ handouts.
“We urge parents to understand that teachers are professional not a charity cases, they do not want handouts that’s why they are engaging their employer, so when you come in parents with incentives you are dividing us Please don’t,”
“…, the child of a teacher matters too, we are doing this for our children we want pension, we want long term solution which is not offered by incentives so as much as are you are thinking of your children think of the child of a teacher,”
Teachers have been demanding United states dollar salaries of US$520 for the lowest paid, and have accused the government of negotiating in bad faith as their salaries lag behind those of soldiers and nurse.
The Progressive Teachers ‘Union of Zimbabwe said the government should close schools and begin serious wage negotiations.
“The situation in schools is bad, more than 90 percent of teachers have abandoned their situation due to incapacitation,” said PTUZ.
Comments