The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has blasted civil servants representative body, the APEX Council and other teacher union organisations for colluding to suppress salary demands by civil servants.
ARTUZ is therefore mulling a nationwide indefinite strike by teachers starting tomorrow demanding a US$1260 pegged salary having shifted from the US$540 which they claim has been eroded by inflation.
In an interview with 263Chat, ARTUZ spokesperson Obert Masaraure accused the Apex Council of not representing the wishes of the civil servants.
“The teachers who had hitherto lost their voices are rediscovering them. These voices are shouting in unison demanding USD 1 260. The Union bosses who have been double dipping from both the Union subscriptions coffers and from the government’s patronage trough find themselves isolated and exposed.
“The Union bosses have an opportunity to reconnect with the teachers if they openly support the 1st of March Teachers protest. Some Union leaders have already started doing so and their contributions to the struggle will be recorded in history. On the other hand there is the bunch of shameless masquerades from the discredited APEX Council.
“These clowns have appointed themselves as negotiators on behalf of all Civil servants. They don’t consult anyone, they are not connected to the workers in any way but still “carry a mandate of representing Civil servants. The Apex Cabal, all of them sitting on one Board or the other, including the controversial GEMS Board, represent no one but loot in the name of the Civil Servants,” said Masaraure.
He said the March 1 strike was reached at following consultations with members who were angered by the paltry USD 200 they are receiving as gross monthly income among other issues.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) acting secretary general Kudakwashe Munengiwa threatened unspecified action should Government fail to address the wages issue.
“We are calling on the Minister of Labour, Professor (Paul) Mavima to legislate minimum wages, failing which as the working class we reserve the right to see what other concerted measures we can take that will make sure our issues are heard,” Munengiwa said.
