The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has vowed to battle the government following the dismissal of its president, Obert Masaraure, from his teaching position.
The union has strongly condemned the move, declaring they “do not acknowledge it and treated the dismissal letter as a toilet paper.”
ARTUZ Secretary-General Robson Chere characterized the government’s action as a blatant violation of workers’ rights.
“The government has once again trampled on the basic rights of workers in Zimbabwe by illegally and unilaterally discharging Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President from his teaching position. The government employed the usual modus operandi of concocting strange non-existent charges against president Masaraure,” Chere said.
Masaraure has previously faced abduction, torture, and arrest on multiple occasions for advocating for workers’ rights.
Chere claims that their attempts to engage the government over Masaraure’s dismissal were met with resistance and fear from government staffers.
“Some powerful force was apparently leaning on them. Call it duress or undue influence if you like,” said Chere.
“The government proceeded to cease the President’s salary for more than five years. We naturally pressed for the remuneration of the President only for the government to discharge him of his employment.”
Chere further criticised the government’s approach, labeling it as insincere and cowardly.
“Our Union President Cde Obert Masaraure is a passionate patriotic award-winning science teacher whose only crime was leading the majority of patriotic teachers in their correct legitimate fight for reasonable working conditions,” he said.
“It is not Cde Obert Masaraure’s fault that the government has been paying dog’s tax to teachers for decades. He simply highlighted this plight and engaged the government in good faith within the constitutional provisions and parameters of the land. His victimization through termination of his employment contract once again confirms the brutal vindictiveness and primitive bullying propensity of the government.”
Despite the dismissal, ARTUZ has declared its unwavering support for Masaraure and has vowed to use all means necessary to fight this “monumental injustice.”
“We will leave no stone unturned and no turn unstoned as we claim justice for the President. All legal apparatus has since been activated to correct this illegality. Let it be known that all teachers in particular and all workers in general stand behind and with our Union President against this injustice.
“For now we declare without any avoidance of doubt that Cde Obert Masaraure remains a teacher in good standing. We treated the unlawful discharge letter as another just piece of toilet paper that we have already used it in the rightful ablution facility and flushed it to the sewage plant.” Chere said.
