The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
GOVERNMENT will not take lightly the planned disruption of schools’ opening next week and will take appropriate disciplinary measures against teachers who participate in the mooted illegal industrial action, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavhima yesterday warned educators against engaging in the planned illegal strike saying authorities will not allow the situation in the education sector to degenerate into chaos.
Authorities are watching closely and studying the agenda behind the recent spate of strikes by employees in key sectors, amid suspicion that politically tainted union leaders are co-ordinating the industrial actions for reasons other than the welfare of their members. On Friday, the Zimbabwe Teachers Union (Zimta) resolved to withdraw its members from work on 8 April to push for a salary review and reinstatement of vacation leave.
Recently, public sector nurses went on a nationwide strike that nearly crippled the country’s health delivery system in spite of their grievances having been addressed by their employer. As a result, over 5 000 nurses were dismissed for participating in the illegal job action. However, the nurses association quickly abandoned the illegal action following revelations that the action was politically-motivated. Now the nurses association is calling for a meeting with Government to offer a formal apology. Minister Mavhima said schools will open despite the threats of strike by educators.
“The pressure that these unions are attempting to put on Government should be viewed in the correct context; that of trying to follow the same route taken by doctors and more recently nurses. As Government we have always engaged unions when it comes to the issues of welfare of teachers. As a matter of fact, we are sitting down with them on Wednesday as part of the ongoing engagement process.”
The Minister said unions should understand that Government was working on reviving the economy which will translate to better conditions of service for its workers.
“The unions need to understand that this is a new administration focused on reviving the economy and every patriotic Zimbabwean should work with Government to help in the efforts to revive the economy. This is so because when the economy grows, the working conditions of all workers and not only teachers will gradually improve. However, from Government’s side there is little scope for improvement of remuneration because of the financial situation. The Ministry of Finance has no capacity at the moment to improve their salaries.
“The education sector employs the highest number of people in the civil service which makes it difficult to have a wholesale review of their salaries given the financial problems we are facing. The education sector is an essential service such as the health sector, and according to the country’s laws it is illegal to withdraw a service in that sector. This is the message I will tell them when we meet on Wednesday because they cannot hold the whole nation at ransom.
“There are those who are saying schools will not open, engaging in an industrial action and forcing schools to close are two different things. It is illegal to forcibly close schools. As Government we are giving an express assurance that schools will open. Government will take appropriate disciplinary measures against those who will partake in the illegal industrial action.”
However, some elements leading the teachers were adamant that they will embark on the proposed job action.
Zimta president Mr Richard Gundani, however, said teachers would forge ahead with the strike. He told our Harare Bureau last night that conditions of service for teachers continue to deteriorate.
