Teachers call off strike

Zimbabwe Telegraph
21st September 2009

ZIMBABWE – HARARE – The Zimbabwe Teachers Association has called off the strike by teachers and urged all its members to report for duty on Monday.

In a statement, Zimta national president Tendai Chikowore said the National Executive Committee convened a meeting on Friday where it was resolved to call of the strike as it was impacting negatively on learners.

“The National Executive Committee convened in Harare on 18 September 2009 and resolved to call the teachers’ strike by Monday 21 September, however we take cognisance that some may need time to travel to stations,” she said.

Chikowore said the decision was taken after noticing that some political elements have taken advantage of the genuine cause to ride on the strike.

“We want to pull the carpet under their dirty feet,” she said, “In some case these unknown elements have brutalised our members and teachers. We condemn and dissociate ourselves from such actions.”
Chikowore said the association also took note that the strike was being abused by some unscrupulous teacher as a leverage to extract incentives from desperate parents.

Some teachers were forcing parents to pay incentives for them to teach their children
“This development has made education more expensive and inaccessible to the less privileged.
Parents and other stakeholders, she said, had also appealed to the teachers to return to work to prepare children who are sitting for their public examinations that start next month.

Chikowore said teachers also called off the strike to give a chance to the National Joint Negotiating Committee engagement facilitated by the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture.

Minister of Education, Sports, Art and Culture, Senator David Coltart said he was delighted by ZIMTA’s patriotism and for putting the needs of the learners first before their own.

He said that he would commit himself to obtain the best deal for teachers and hoped that they too would heed the time to make up for lost time.

“I am delighted by ZIMTA acting patriotic and taking best interest for their students. I will remain committed towards addressing their needs and continue to lobby Cabinet to come up with the best possible deals for them.

“Finally I hope that teachers will respond to this call to make up for lost time and to make it work for those writing their O and A level examinations,” he said.-The Zimbabwe Telegraph

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