14 September 2009
Zimbabwe Telegraph
ZIMBABWE – HARARE – The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) national executive will meet before the end of this week to discuss whether to call off the on-going teachers strike.
The Zimta national executive will also debate the effect of the strike on pupils sitting for this year’s public examinations in November.
The teachers withdrew their services when the schools opened on 2 September, demanding a salary increase and a review of their working conditions.
The teachers want the re-introduction of the US$100 allowance and a basic salary, which would be progressively increased until it reaches US$500 by December.
Zimta Chief Executive Officer, Sifiso Ndlovu said the meeting is meant to get a feedback from the provinces on the strike.
“We are going to review the progress of the strike and get reports from the provinces on the situation on the ground. Members have sent their views on the strike and we have been consulting other stakeholders,†he said.
Ndlovu said the meeting would also consider calls from stakeholders to exercise “restrictive measures†on the strike.
“The stakeholders expressed concern that the strike might disrupt the holding of this year’s Ordinary and Advanced level examinations. Minister David Coltart has also been making calls for negotiations and in this light it might be necessary to consider the call,†he said.
However, Ndlovu could not be drawn into revealing whether the association would end the strike at the meeting.
“We are still receiving feedback from teachers all over the country and we can only adopt a position in the meeting after evaluating all the input,†said he said.
He said they were also waiting for the convening of the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC) some time this week but their meeting would continue whether it was convened or not.
Talks held between Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Coltart and Zimta last week ended in a deadlock with neither party refusing to give in.
The teachers’ unions have issued conflicting statements concerning the strike with Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ) saying members should go back to work while Zimta has been against the idea.-