JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (ADV) – Zimbabwean teachers have ruled out a premature strike and agreed to give dialogue with high-powered Government team a chance.
This follows a meeting proposed by the government with the civil servants’ unions to discuss their salaries and conditions of service.
The meeting is expected to come up with concrete proposals that address the challenges faced by the country’s educators.
The meeting is attended by unions under the Apex Council and all registered public service staff association. Apex Council is the umbrella body for civil servants organisations in salary negotiations.
“Government will have to bring to the table concrete proposals to address the dire situation the workers face,” Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander.
“To restore normalcy, a cost of living adjustment is rather urgent given that prices have quadrupled in the last quarter of 2018. This inflation, which is continuing, has excluded civil servants from the economy all together.”
She further said if the government will not give a cost of living adjustment premised on the prevailing currency parallel market rate against which all prices are now benchmarked, then it must consider US dollar salaries for its workers.
Alexander also mentioned that challenges faced by teachers needed to be rectified urgently.
“Civil servants will not be able to afford school fees, bus fare, health care, food and other basic necessities with the very real prospect that most will not be able to come to work. We need to reach consensus for a better outcome.”
However, Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Tumisang Thabela has quashed some private media reports that schools will not be opening tomorrow.
“We are due to open our schools tomorrow. We are not aware of the strike you are talking about and we are assuming schools as scheduled.”
The government team included Finance and Economic Development Minister Dr Mthuli Ncube, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira and Civil Service Commission chairperson Dr Vincent Hungwe.
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