The Sunday Mail
Bulawayo Bureau
THE majority of teachers are opposed to an industrial action called by some unions, and have expressed optimism that tomorrow’s crucial indaba between educators and Government will yield positive results. The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, the largest union in Zimbabwe with over 44 000 members, has broken ranks with smaller unions which are agitating for a strike.
Minority teachers unions under the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (Fozeu) are opposed to tomorrow’s National Joint Negotiating Council.
Zimta will attend tomorrow’s meeting.
Some unions called for a strike last week but it flopped as Government made undertakings to improve teachers’ welfare.
Zimta CEO Mr Sifiso Ndlovu last week said, “The fact that the Government is open to dialogue over our grievances is an indication of willingness to solve the problems. We are going into the meeting with an open mind, analysing figures as they come and looking at the overall package.
“We are going into the meeting under the Apex Council taking the NJNC route because it’s legal. Fozeu is not yet registered, thus we can’t take that route.”
Mr Ndlovu said if negotiations collapsed, the Zimta leadership would not immediately call for a strike.
“We are giving room for dialogue, if that fails we will go back to our members and consult on the way forward. It’s not the duty of the leadership to commandeer a strike. We don’t want to go into the negotiations with such a mindset,” he said.
Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes Mrs Constance Chigwamba said Government was optimistic about tomorrow’s meeting.
“The fact that discussions are on, gives us hope of a positive outcome. The only time a strike is necessary is after a deadlock in negotiations. Right now there’s no deadlock and due process has to be followed,” she said.
However, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe is insisting on a strike. The NJNC met last Monday and the Government offered civil servants a 10 percent salary increase with effect from 1 July. Government also rescinded a ban on vacation leave and agreed to compensate teachers who were short-changed by the ban.
