Today is the day 31 of the Job Action by the Teachers, United under the banner #TeachersCantBreath demanding decent salary.
However, ahead of the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC) on 30/10/20, four ZIMTA top members had a secret and private meeting with HE President Emmerson Mnangagwa, two-line Members of the Finance and Economic Development, Primary and Secondary Education and the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission.
ZIMTA’s communique claims that the intention of the meeting was to draw HE to the teacher’s incapacitation.
However, the communique seem to have shocked the teachers when they discovered ZIMTA have lowered the lowest paid teacher’s target salary from USD520 to USD360. Further, they agreed that the remaining 200 will be staggered but there is no given time frame.
To make sure that these demands are fulfilled the #TeachersLivesMatters agreed that the Union posts, circulars or any communications are not allowed on their platforms. Thus, the ZIMTA circular comes as an insult and a form of betrayal to the teachers struggle.
The response by the #ZimbabweTeachersMatters is as outlined below.
“Comrades, we appreciate that we agreed that we will not accept union posts on our platforms but I think we will make an exception of the ZIMTA circular just coming in to say “they have accepted $360 and are saying the remainder will be staggered” and the staggering without any timeframe. We assume that this is what ZIMTA members among us here agreed to.
Because this circular speaks on our salary, we will give members the chance to discuss something that we find out if we all agree with the position taken by ZIMTA members here and if that’s what we agreed on.
This is hoping by end of today, we will have a conclusion to draw on as a movement. A position. Thank you. Tafadzwa.”
The sample teachers from Gokwe who shared with My Gokwe Media also expressed their view on the above action by the ZIMTA Team and how it impacts them and their struggle. They seem to be in agreement that ZIMTA is the Judas Iscariot of their struggle.
My Gokwe Media had a long talk with one of the long term ZIMTA Member from Gokwe who spoke to us on the ground of anonymity in fear of victimisation.
“How come they are now 200 USD down from our demand. ZIMTA members had no input into this meeting, hence, their anger. The four gentlemen unilaterally made a decision for all members in particular and all teachers in general. We have our $520 demand and l dont think we should be dragged down by the four men from ZIMTA whose benefits for attending the meeting remains their secret,” he said.
The Gokwe teachers saw decision taken by ZIMTA as a sign of dictatorship and imposition on their members and all the Teachers in general. They felt the four ZIMTA Members have a moral duty to apologise to the Teachers and reverse their statement.
“Their mandate is to articulate their membership’s demands but they went there nichodemously without the knowledge of their members. So they are thinking for us with government and not taking our opinions. That demand is theirs, we too have ours. We won’t even ask them their private gains at the State House because they will lie to us,” he said.
We will keep you updated on the following developments after tomorrow (30/10/20) meeting.
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