Zimbabwean workers have been hailed globally for being highly competent and hard working. In a sharp contrast back home they are scorned by their own government at times they are labeled as lazy and unproductive. The low morale of the working class is caused by underpayment and at times no payment at all.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ has been on the forefront of demanding better wages for the teachers of Zimbabwe in particular. The Union has been accused of being an agent of regime change and the State has launched an onslaught targeting the leadership and membership of the Union.
ARTUZ is committed to the fight for a living wage and remains undeterred by the State’s barbaric response. A living wage for the working class is fundamental if Zimbabwe is going to unlock its growth potential.
The first learning term of 2019 was a disaster as teachers spent most of the learning term demanding salary increment as they were failing to meet the costs of living.
The government should realise that our economy will only tick when the workers are highly productivity. We can’t use the stick to force production but we can motivate through competitive remuneration of our workers.We don’t want to lose learning time in second time and we urge the government to sober up and pay its workers in United States Dollars or the market equivalent of the amount agreed in 2012.
Government should realise that if they exploit their own workers they are setting a bad precedence which can be emulated by uncouth business people in the private sector.
We have neither run out of ideas nor energy to fight on the streets but we decided to communicate this reminder to our government before squaring off on the streets as has become the norm. This communique has been delivered to government officials and we will wait for a response before we fight back.
Source: Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ)
