Union Says Militia & CIOs Harassing Striking Teachers

SW Radio Africa (London)

Tererai Karimakwenda

23 June 2011

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has reported that their members are being harassed in some areas for taking part in the strike action that started Wednesday.

PTUZ President, Takavafira Zhou, told SW Radio Africa that youth militia, intelligence agents and school heads aligned with ZANU PF, are intimidating teachers and making threats.

“Our teachers were beaten by rogue militia in Rushinga and there have been serious threats in Mberengwa, Gokwe and Mashonaland South,” Zhou said. He added that CIOs have also been visiting their union offices around the country.

Despite the challenges, the union said the strike has been successful, especially in the rural areas where teachers do not receive monthly cash incentives from parents and schools. At least 75% of their members are reportedly striking in rural areas and 54% in urban areas. Zhou said lecturers from colleges and polytechnic institutes joined the strike on Thursday.

The union said the strike is intended to force government to commit to a time frame for concluding salary negotiations. Despite having met with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Robert Mugabe and the Ministry for Public Service, asking for salaries equal to the Poverty Datum Line, teachers have still not received salary increases that were promised.

“We were promised by the highest office of the President of the country that we would see those salaries in June. But June came and nothing changed”, Zhou said.

The teachers are demanding salary hikes and increased housing and travel allowances. Zhou described the current $200 per month salaries and $10 housing allowance as “pathetic” and an “insult”. According to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, a family of five needs $500 per month to survive.

Zhou said government has been reluctant to remove 75,000 “ghost workers” on the payroll who are “gobbling up” money that could go to assisting with civil servants wages. He said they were also promised that revenue from the sale of diamonds would be used to improve wages, but this has not been done.

“But only the top brass, the political crocodiles, are pilfering the money from diamond sales and teachers are angry”, Zhou said.

The PTUZ president also accused the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), of being run by officials closely linked to ZANU PF, and some are allegedly discouraging PTUZ members from participating in the strike. According to Zhou, some Zimta officials hold positions within ZANU PF district committees.

Civil servants have been demanding increased salaries and striking on and off for years now, with government making promises that are eventually not kept. Zhou said he expects more teachers, lecturers and civil workers from other sectors to join the strikes soon.

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