Schools toe the line

SCHOOLS opened smoothly across the country on Tuesday with teachers reporting for duty and ignoring threats of an industrial action by the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU).

FOZEU members include 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.

Last Friday, FOZEU had claimed that a resolution to go for a strike on the opening day of the second term had been concluded.

However, other teachers’ union organisations under the Federation of Educators Union of Zimbabwe (FEUZ) who include the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, (Zimta), Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and Zimbabwe National Association of Teachers (Zinat) said they believed in negotiations and were still in consultation with Government. FEUZ is calling for a minimum basic salary of US$840.

FEUZ president, who also holds the same position in Zimbabwe Teachers Association, (Zimta), Mr Akuneni Maphosa said teachers are incapacitated as the salary increase they got last time of around US$20 is not enough and a far cry from what they expected.

He, however, clarified that they believed in dialogue and called on Government to urgently convene the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting for the second quarter.

“Regarding the strike calls, we have no collective decision towards embarking on industrial action and given that there is no collective and specific position that instructs members to go on strike, our position as FEUZ remains the same as per last quarter,” said Mr Maphosa.

“That we pursue dialogue and we want the Government to urgently convene the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting for the second quarter.”

He said the US$840 basic salary figure was reached after a thorough research, which was based on market forces.

“So, our view is that from the rejection of our position, we expected the Government to have convened the second quarter meeting because we requested the Government negotiators to go back to the principal and request for a better envelope,” said Mr Maphosa.

“There is dissatisfaction amongst teachers and we expect Government to make a move and bring in that extra dollar. We are failing to pay for necessities, including school fees, when we are actually offering that service.”

He said teachers expect Government to improve the remuneration level, especially non-monetary incentives, which Government has pledged, such as payment of school fees for at least three children and accommodation.

Meanwhile, school heads have also heeded Government’s warning that no learner must be sent away from school for non-payment of school fees and levies.

Earlier, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had warned school authorities against turning away learners for non-payment of school fees and levies as that obligation lies with the parent or guardian.

The schools were also ordered to accept the new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency as payment of school fees and other financial obligations.

A Chronicle news crew drove around the city yesterday and observed that it was business as usual for schools, with no learners being chased away. In the Eastern suburbs, the news crew visited Founders, Montrose Girls, Hamilton High Schools as well as Barham Green Primary School while in the Western suburbs, schools visited were Nkulumane High School, Magwegwe High School, Amhlophe High School, Mcumbatha Primary School and Mpopoma High School respectively.