GOVERNMENT has courted the ire of teachers after it reportedly deducted huge amounts from salaries of educators who went on strike when schools reopened last year.
NewsDay understands that some teachers got as little as $2
after the deductions.
The development has triggered anger among teachers, who are
now planning a full-blown strike in protest over the deductions, which they
said were in violation of the Constitution and labour laws.
Public Service minister Paul Mavima only said: “The issue
of the deducted funds is purely an administrative issue. I deal with policy
issues, so the Public Service Commission (PSC) is better placed to respond to
your questions.”
Government last year announced that it was adopting the
no-work no-pay policy after teachers went on strike to demand pre-2018 United
States dollar salaries or its equivalent at the interbank rate.
Thousands of teachers were also suspended.
Efforts to get a comment from PSC secretary Jonathan
Wutawashe were in vain as he was not taking calls.
Unions, however, accused government of victimising the
educators for exercising their constitutional right to engage in job action
demanding better salaries and improved working conditions.
Government has failed to provide payslips to civil servants
for the past two months to enable them to see what has been deducted and why.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general
Raymond Majongwe said the teachers would challenge the no-work no-pay policy.
“We are not aware of the modalities that were used by the
government as it deducted different funds on the teachers who were on strike
during the same day,” he said.
“Government deducted up to $20 000 from the teachers’
salaries. I know of a teacher in Warren Park who got $2 as his salary. The
issue will not go unchallenged. We are in the process of filing a paper against
the act.”
Zimbabwe National Teachers Union chief executive Manuel
Nyawo said: “What pains us most is that the deductions came as a shock and have
left us poorer than before. We have written to seek clarification from the
employer on why that move was taken outside our members’ knowledge. We are very
bitter with the employer and we hope this is the first and last time we
experience this worrisome and most painful development.”
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) also said it
would “continue making noise” until government respected the teachers’ rights.
“We are very much alive to the concerns that have been
raised by our members who did not get their salaries this month without any
explanation from the employer,” Zimta secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said.
“As Zimta, we will not fold hands and watch. It is
worrisome that in this case, PSC failed to follow the due process in charging
members who it accused of misconduct.”
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson
Taungana Ndoro said: “We can’t afford to have another disruption from a job
action after all those disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The issues
should be resolved amicably. The ministry does not encourage strikes to resolve
the teachers’ concerns. The education system should thrive and it only thrives
when children are learning in schools.
“The teachers have their representatives who can sit down
with government and talk about their grievances. There is a need for
collaborative efforts to ensure that learners recover all the learning time
lost during lockdowns.” Newsday
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