PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Zim teachers threaten nationwide strike
Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Public school teachers in Zimbabwe Tuesday threatened to go on strike in protest against government failure to honour a promise to increase their salaries this month.
Two months ago, President Robert Mugabe promised teachers and all civil servants that their US$250 monthly salaries would be increased from June.
But Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said the government does not have money to increase the salaries, which are below the country's Poverty Datum Line (PDL) of US$560.
Teachers, who make up the bulk of the civil service, were demanding no less than US$500 per month.
The issue has been caught up in Zimbabwe's divisive politics, as the country's coalition partners try to position themselves strategically ahead of elections.
Mugabe, critics say, wanted to endear himself to the electorate through the pay increase.
Biti comes from the main opposition party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and stands accused of deliberately withholding the pay increase to deny Mugabe political mileage.
"There is no shared misery. Government will argue that there is no money, but its spending habits towards the luxury of senior officials proves otherwise," the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said in a statement.
"It is better for our children to be taught for 50 days by a happy teacher than to be tutored for 180 days by a teacher who is totally overpowered by misery," it said.
The union dismissed government claims it had no money, and pointed to last week's reports that the authorities had spent more than US$10 million on new luxury vehicles for ministers.
"The strike beginning 22nd of June is anchored on the review of basic pay to approximate the PDL, review of transport and housing allowances, re-introduction of meaningful rural allowances, an end to victimisation of teachers for both professional and political reasons, and reluctance by government to remove 75,000 ghost workers from the national payroll," PTU said.
-0- PANA RS/SEG 21June2011
Two months ago, President Robert Mugabe promised teachers and all civil servants that their US$250 monthly salaries would be increased from June.
But Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said the government does not have money to increase the salaries, which are below the country's Poverty Datum Line (PDL) of US$560.
Teachers, who make up the bulk of the civil service, were demanding no less than US$500 per month.
The issue has been caught up in Zimbabwe's divisive politics, as the country's coalition partners try to position themselves strategically ahead of elections.
Mugabe, critics say, wanted to endear himself to the electorate through the pay increase.
Biti comes from the main opposition party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and stands accused of deliberately withholding the pay increase to deny Mugabe political mileage.
"There is no shared misery. Government will argue that there is no money, but its spending habits towards the luxury of senior officials proves otherwise," the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said in a statement.
"It is better for our children to be taught for 50 days by a happy teacher than to be tutored for 180 days by a teacher who is totally overpowered by misery," it said.
The union dismissed government claims it had no money, and pointed to last week's reports that the authorities had spent more than US$10 million on new luxury vehicles for ministers.
"The strike beginning 22nd of June is anchored on the review of basic pay to approximate the PDL, review of transport and housing allowances, re-introduction of meaningful rural allowances, an end to victimisation of teachers for both professional and political reasons, and reluctance by government to remove 75,000 ghost workers from the national payroll," PTU said.
-0- PANA RS/SEG 21June2011
