admin
PTUZ, a smaller teachers’ union, which called a strike early this week, has since issued memoranda to its members calling for an intensification of the action.
PTUZ secretary general Raymond Majongwe said as far as his union was concerned, civil servants were on strike.
He said PTUZ was not accepting the outcome of the meeting held on Wednesday, as civil servants wanted money, not meetings.
“We have a very disjointed civil service because we made a decision to go on strike on the day schools opened but organisations such as the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association and the so-called Apex Council are acting in a funny way,” said Mr Majongwe.
“It is disturbing that we have been giving the Government ultimatum after ultimatum yet civil servants have continued to suffer.”
Mr Majongwe alleged that officials from other civil servants’ organisations were being soft with the Government because they wanted political posts.
“We are dealing with people waiting for political posts in the Government and it is sickening. We cannot sit and watch the Government tossing us around.
“As far as we are concerned, teachers in Zimbabwe are on strike and we want a meaningful change in their remuneration,” he said.
Mr Majongwe said meeting Minister Matibenga was a waste of time as the civil servants’ salary issue needed intervention by President Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
“Meeting Minister Matibenga is a mere waste of time because she has no capacity to influence anything in this issue. All we need is reasonable progress in terms of salary increments not meetings, consultations and ultimatums all the time.
“This issue will never be solved if President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai do not intervene,” said Mr Majongwe.
Officials in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in Bulawayo confirmed that they had received the memorandum from PTUZ.
However, most teachers and other civil servants are going to work as usual.
Online Reporter