adminpublic examinations, which start on Monday, into turmoil.
More than 50 000 Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates registered for this year’s June examinations.
Zimsec director Mr Happy Ndanga yesterday confirmed the work stoppage but denied that the workers were on strike.
“I cannot say they are on a strike because they haven’t yet exhausted all the necessary procedures which should be followed when salaries are being negotiated,” Mr Ndanga said.
“Maybe it’s a go-slow but I am expecting them to follow the required procedures. In fact, I am expecting to get more details from them concerning what is happening here.”
Asked what management was doing to solve the crisis, Mr Ndanga said, “The way forward will be found if necessary channels are followed.”
The examinations body recently announced that more than 50 000 candidates had registered for the June O-Level examinations while over 3 000 are expected to sit for A-Level examinations.
National Education Union of Zimbabwe – a body that represents the workers – spokesperson Mr Mathias Guchutu said workers were promised salary increments in January but up to now they got nothing.
Mr Guchutu accused Zimsec management of reneging on earlier pledges.
“It is unfortunate that the employer dragged the issue unresolved from last year to the present exam time, more than half a year down the line.
“Salary negotiations were pencilled for November 2010 and nothing happened but workers produced a record best service which was acknowledged even in the Press. The employee has no option but to simply wait for an urgent positive revisiting of the issue,” he said.
He accused the newly appointed Zimsec board led by Professor Norman Maphosa of putting a ceiling on salary increments.
“The board instructed the management not to surpass an increment of 10 percent in January but what is hurting us is that even that little was not effected in January and up to now there is nothing,” he said.
The lowest paid worker is currently taking home US$230 while directors are reportedly getting US$1 600.
Efforts to get a comment from Prof Maphosa were fruitless, as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Sources within Zimsec told The Herald that some officials wanted to keep the strike under wraps as they intended to use it as a bargain tool a few days ahead of public examinations on Monday.
Government, through the Ministry of Finance, is the sole financier of Zimsec.
Apart from that the examination body relies largely on money collected from candidates.
However, Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Lazarus Dokora said Government was still to be formally informed.
“We haven’t yet been officially notified of anything and I will give details after hearing from them,” he said.
A visit by The Herald to the Zimsec offices yesterday showed that the workers were on strike with some confirming that they had stopped working.
The workers said their salaries should be reviewed upwards as the number of registered candidates had also shot up drastically.
“I think we have suffered for long and I think its high time something be done because we can’t make ends meet. We usually rely on candidates and Treasury but we know the number has risen and so must our salaries.
“Our managers are the only ones benefiting while people on the ground are suffering,” one employee said.
The workers insisted they would not return to work until salaries are reviewed upwards.
Zimsec has in the past been accused of bungling public examinations, a situation that resulted in a drop in the registration levels.
This saw most parents opting for other examination bodies like Cambridge.
However, the examinations body seemed to have regained the parents’ confidence this year, as there was a 50 percent increase in the number of students registering for examinations.
Online Reporter