adminIn a statement yesterday, Zimta public relations officer Ms Daisy Zambuko said the conference would be held at a local hotel from tomorrow to Saturday.
“The conference will be held from 12 to 14 April 2012 in Bulawayo. The theme is ‘Enhancing the State of Teachers Through Economic Empowerment’,” said Ms Zambuko.
“The conference will provide a platform to interact and share experiences with Zimta members while also creating opportunities for strengthening or forging future engagements, and trade union solidarity.”
About 250 delegates drawn from Zimta’s membership from the country’s 10 provinces, key stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, international and Sadc countries teachers’ unions representatives are expected to attend.
In an interview Zimta chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said the conference would deliberate on how teachers could be empowered economically.
“We will discuss the issues that define the economic status and empowerment of teachers whose salaries are subdued at the moment and are not sustainable.
“The conference would seek to find out how the current regulations can assist the empowerment of the teacher, improving conditions of service and other non-monetary benefits,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said delegates would arrive in the City of Kings and Queens starting from today adding that the executive team would arrive early to deliberate on the conference agenda.
Zimta is the country’s largest professional teacher trade union, with a membership of about 45 000.
The union specialises in teacher development programmes, training and advocates for the educators’ economic welfare.
Zimta was established in 1942 but only came to be known as Zimta after independence in 1980.
Online Reporter