Teachers’ union bosses slam Biti & Mukonoweshuro

SW Radio Africa
By Violet Gonda
22 July 2009

Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, the Minister for Public Service, announced on Tuesday an increase in allowances for civil servants starting this month. Teachers will see their allowances go from $100 a month to $145 (after bank charges and taxes) while doctors will receive $170.

However, the salary increases have not been received well by the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), which has described the increases as an insult to the teaching profession. PTUZ President Takavafira Zhou said teachers have now been put in grade D with a gross salary of US$165, which is a net salary of $155 and that is reduced further to $145, after bank charges. He said teachers feel betrayed as the salaries are still unreasonably low. The union has resolved to continue with its weekly Friday industrial action.

Furthermore the teaching fraternity is not happy that the pay day has been changed from Tuesday to next Monday. Zhou said many teachers had travelled to the cities to get their salaries, only to be told that they will receive their money on 27th July.

Leaders of the union have lashed out at Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Mukonoweshuro, as they say they are maintaining the ZANU PF hard-line stance of exclusion.

PTUZ Secretary General Raymond Majongwe is quoted by the website Kubatana saying: “Tendai Biti has continued and perpetuated the Zanu PF way of doing things . . .that he sits with whoever he sits with and he makes his presentations like Father Christmas without prior consultations with relevant stakeholders like trade unions.”

Zhou said it is on the basic principles of social engagement that his union is criticising the Finance Minister who went on to announce ‘a budget insulting to teachers’ without consultation.

With respect to Professor Mukonoweshuro, Zhou said: “We were hoping that this was a man, coming from a labour background and representing the MDC-T, would perhaps operate a new system.

Unfortunately he has maintained the status quo and continues to run the Public Service as if it was run by ZANU PF.”

We were not able to reach the Public Service Minister, but Zhou claimed Professor Mukonoweshuro ‘only consults’ trade unions that are perceived to tow the government line – such as the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA). He said: “On Tuesday the Public Service Commission met with the Apex Council (which engages with unions and civil servants) and unfortunately we were not even invited and we were not even privy to the discussions that took place.”

But the teachers’ body did have praise for their Education Minister, David Coltart. Zhou said Coltart is like former Education Ministers Dzingai Mutumbuka and Fay Chung, who listened and engaged all parties. “But unfortunately he is not getting the compliments he should be getting from the Public Service Commission, from Professor Mukonoweshuro as well as from his permanent Secretary Dr. Steven Manyere,” said the PTUZ President.