Teachers keep Rejecting Salary Increments

Incapacitated teachers have continued to reject paltry salary increments being offered by government as they demand an increase in their salaries.

Teachers have been demanding restoration of salaries to pre October 2018 ,in USD$520 its equivalent in RTGS dollars but the government has refused to give in to their demands.

Government this week announced a 45% salary increment for workers, prior to this a 25% salary increment was offered in April this year.

Currently the lowest-paid teacher is getting $13 300, the 45% will take the teacher to $18 620, which is less than US$ 200 and far too short to meet the minimum expectations of the restoration of the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries pegged at US$520-US$550.

Worse still, the 45% is post-dated to July and by then prices of basic commodities would have adjusted by more than 45% thereby eroding the purported increment.

Responding to the 45% increment President of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Takavafira Zhou said the increment does not really solve the issues , it does not make a diffrence for the poorly paid teachers.

“This has done nothing to address the issue of salary discrepancies among government workers.”

“With the 45% award, the gap between teachers and other government workers currently earning double and treble the salaries of teachers despite having fewer qualifications and responsibilities would continue to grow or widen,” he said.

Zhou added that this is not addressing the problem of starvation wages but symptoms. Both the government and Ministry must address the problem, viz, pay teachers a living wage.

However, should the government fail to do so as a matter of urgency, teachers must use their poverty to unite and liberate themselves. Our collective effort will guarantee our triumph.