Harare – Zimbabwean teachers are intensifying their calls for a substantial salary increase, demanding a minimum monthly wage of US$1,260.
This demand, reiterated during World Teachers’ Day commemorations, comes against a backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating economic climate, marked by a plummeting local currency, the Zimbabwean dollar (ZiG), and soaring inflation. Currently, teachers earn no more than US$350 per month, a figure significantly below the food poverty line of over US$500.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), a vocal teachers’ union, issued a statement highlighting the inadequacy of current salaries.
“ARTUZ calls upon the employer to review salaries and pay a fair wage that enables teachers to cater for basics and have savings. A minimum of US$1 260 is all that teachers are demanding,” the statement read.
The statement, released in celebration of World Teachers’ Day, under the theme “Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education,” also condemned the government’s alleged harassment of union leaders.
“The state is urged to stop the relentless attack on ARTUZ and focus on protecting the freedom of association of ARTUZ teachers,” the statement added.
“ARTUZ condemns the ongoing attack on ARTUZ by the Zimbabwean state. The union has endured office raids, abductions, torture and incarceration of leaders, suspensions and discharge of members.”
ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure has also been a target of alleged state-sponsored harassment in the past.
The teachers’ demands for improved wages come amidst rising costs of basic goods, pushing many employees to the brink. The timing is particularly significant, given the government’s recent allocation of US$16 million to purchase luxury vehicles for traditional leaders.
ARTUZ’s statement further underscored the need for fair labour practices and the protection of the right to collective action.
“Every employee has the right to participate in collective job action, including the right to strike, sit in, withdraw their labour and to take other similar concerted action, but a law may restrict the exercise of this right in order to maintain essential services. The Public Service Act should be aligned in a manner that protects the right to strike. Job actions should be protected by the administrators of education. The culture of persecuting teachers for embarking on job actions is against the spirit of the national Constitution,” the union stated.
The Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (ECOZI) echoed ARTUZ’s concerns, calling for improved teacher welfare and a greater role for teachers in policy formulation.
“Valuing teachers’ voices means acknowledging their expertise, lived experiences, and their potential to offer solutions to the challenges facing education in Zimbabwe. It also requires government, stakeholders, and society at large to recognise teachers as key partners in the formulation of education policies and reforms,” ECOZI stated.
The organisation emphasised the need for continuous professional development to equip teachers with modern teaching methodologies and technologies. They also urged the government to engage teachers in policy discussions to ensure their expertise informs educational reforms.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) president, Akuneni Maphosa, also highlighted the importance of teacher voices in educational reform, emphasising the link between adequate funding and quality education.
“Recently, the United Nations (UN) High-Level Panel emphasised the critical need for a new social contract for education. This means reimagining how we perceive, value, and support our educators, as well as education itself,” he said.
Maphosa advocated for increased public education funding, aligning with the Education 2030 Framework for Action, which recommends at least 6% of gross domestic product and 20% of total government expenditure be allocated to education. He stressed that such funding should be transparent and protected from austerity measures.
In response to the teachers’ demands, the Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro, suggested the teachers were using the wrong platform to voice their grievances. However, the government, seemingly anticipating the teachers’ actions, announced plans to increase civil servant salaries and award a 13th cheque.
The government’s announcement comes amidst significant economic challenges following the devaluation of the ZiG, which has depreciated to 25.3578 per US dollar, exacerbating the existing economic hardship faced by teachers and other civil servants.
The teachers’ resolute demands for a substantial salary increase highlight the deep-seated concerns about their economic well-being and the urgent need for the government to address the ongoing crisis in the education sector.
