The Zimbabwean government recently adjusted teachers’ salaries, but the move has left educators dissatisfied.
The offer was tabled on Thursday, March 14, during the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting.
The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the US dollar salary increased by 6.66%, taking the total US dollar salary to US$320.
The Zimbabwe dollar component rose by 49.6%, reaching US$119.73 (inflation-tracked ZWL).
Despite the adjustments, the overall raise amounts to a modest US$39.73. This amount will be converted to ZWL at the prevailing bank rate on the date of salary payment.
According to ZimLive, the new wage hikes will be backdated to January 1, 2024, and implemented this month.
Teacher unions have criticized civil servants’ negotiators for accepting what they deem a “paltry offer” which they said falls short of addressing their financial hardships.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure singled out Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) president Cecilia Alexander (pictured) for criticism. He said:
The government is offering a paltry US$20 as an increment. This is pathetic because at this time, teachers were waiting for a genuine review of their salaries and the government gave this token.
What is more surprising is that those people who call themselves negotiators as led by one Cecilia Alexander will try to play Public Relations for the employer, but we know that she is an imposter; she does not have a mandate from anyone to be a negotiator at the table.
The government has been renewing its team of negotiators but the team from the civil servants’ side is never renewed.
Alexander is now a lifetime negotiator for civil servants and always brings back rotten deals and has taken into her armpits a bunch of greedy individuals who want to benefit from lying that they represent us.
We are glad that as the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Unions, there is consensus that we are rejecting the paltry increment and we demand a US$1 260 as the minimum salary for a teacher and there is no time to be issuing threats.
We are on the ground right now finalizing a solid mass action that is coming soon to force the government to meet our demand.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe concurred with Masaraure, adding that cases of suicides, drug abuse, sudden deaths, stress, and divorces have tremendously increased among teachers as a result.
