Unions representing teachers strongly disagree on the strategy and tactics to force the government to give in to their salary demands when schools open for the 2024 second term on Tuesday, 07 May.
This has resulted in the unions splitting into two different camps, the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU), and the Federation of Educators Union of Zimbabwe (FEUZ), reported The Standard.
The FOZEU members are the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), the Educators Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) Zimbabwe Visually Impaired Teachers Union, and the Professional Educators Union of Zimbabwe.
FEUZ is made up of Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Zimbabwe Democratic Teachers Union (ZDTU), Zimbabwe National Educators Union (ZiNEU), Zimbabwe National Teachers Union (ZINATU), Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Union (ZIRUTU) and the Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads (ZINUSH).
The FOZEU has declared a strike when schools open tomorrow while FEUZ has stated that their members will report for duty to give room for dialogue.
FOZEU is demanding a minimum salary of US$1 260 for its members while FEUZ is pushing for US$840.
PTUZ withdrew from FOZEU following its decision not to negotiate for better salaries and working conditions under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).
FOZEU chairperson, who is also Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president, Obert Masaraure said:
We are not part of the NJNC because its establishment is unconstitutional. Our position at FOZEU is that we do not participate in the NJNC because it is a fraud.
In a statement on Friday, FOZEU said it had decided during Labour Day celebrations on 01 May to call for its members to down tools when the Second Term commences.
But FEUZ leader Akuneni Maphosa, who is also president of the ZIMTA, said its members will report for duty tomorrow. Said Maphosa:
As FEUZ we have no position of a strike at the moment. Our position is that unions must carry out their consultations.
We are still following the trajectory of negotiation where we talk with the government and push for better salaries.
We want US$840 as a basic salary. We believe in consultations as the way to go at the moment.
PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe urged teachers’ unions to come together and approach the government as a united front.
In March this year, the Government gave teachers a paltry US$20 pay increase and other incentives, but the teachers swiftly rejected that offer as insignificant.
