A local rural teachers union has notified the government that its members will be unable to report to work when schools reopen for the second term.
Due to the unresolved salary crisis,members of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) will not be able to report for duty, according to a letter addressed to the Public Service Commission seen by Bustop-TV
“We write to notify you on behalf of our members that as a result of the unresolved salary crisis, teachers will not be able to report for duty when the second school term resumes,” reads the letter.
The teachers union reiterates its demand for a basic monthly salary of US$1,260 for the lowest-paid teacher.
They argue the aforementioned amount is in line with the country’s bread basket needs and necessary to maintain a standard of living that upholds human dignity.
“The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe reiterates the demand for a basic salary of US$1 260. 00 for the lowest paid teacher, in line with the bread basket demands and to enable teachers to afford a living standard that upholds human dignity,” added the letter.
The union also urges the government, as the employer, “to embrace a genuine Collective Bargaining process that ensures outcomes that further the national interest of the country through the realization of a well funded education system.”
This call comes as schools are set to reopen for the second term, with the government facing the prospect of a potential disruption to the education system due to the teachers’ inability to report to work.
The salary woes in the education sector has been an ongoing issue in the country, with the teachers’ union consistently advocating for better remuneration to address the erosion of their purchasing power amid the country’s economic crisis.
