Staff writer
Teachers are calling on government to urgently convene a meeting for a salary review as their conditions of service have become deplorable.
In a letter addressed to minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo by Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general, Raymond Majongwe, teachers said it was high time they get a living wage.
“As PTUZ, a bona-fide registered teacher representative organisation in Zimbabwe, we are deeply concerned with the conditions of service of teachers in general and our members in particular. As such, I want to bring to your attention the need for an urgent meeting for a salary review.
“May I also bring to your attention that the last salary review meeting happened last year and we are almost done with the first quarter of 2025 without government showing any signs of convening a meeting to that effect. Honourable Minister, the COLA crisis has extremely gone high and the Zig component is almost totally gone. Teachers are suffering and the situation obtaining on the ground is unbearable,”said Majongwe
He added:
“It is our belief that it is only through honest and faithful deliberations that we can salvage a workable solution that can bring a win-win situation between the government and its teachers. Teachers in Zimbabwe have sacrificed a lot in serving their beloved country, doing a lot with very little and it is now time for the government to honour its obligation of paying teachers a living wage.
“Honorable Minister, there are also a lot of pending issues that we feel your good office can bring to finality. These include establishment collective bargaining chamber, of the sector-specific allowances, genuine non-monetary incentives and alignment of the labour laws to the Constitution, among others which are detailed in our dossier to be presented to you.
“Let me also take this opportunity to highlight that, as PTUZ, we highly cherish, respect and don’t doubt your leadership in bringing smiles on teachers’ faces once again. As you may be aware, motivated teachers are the backbone of the development drive because teaching is the maternity ward for all the professions.
I humbly hope that you will consider this request and convene a meeting at your earliest convenience.”