Govt to meet teachers

THE Government will this week meet teachers' unions to start negotiations on a number of issues raised by the civil servants and map the way forward, Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Mrs Sylvia Utete-Masango has said.

Mrs Utete-Masango met teachers' associations in Harare on Monday to discuss some of the issues, which she said would be addressed by the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).

"The NJNC is mandated with the responsibility of addressing some of the issues that the teachers are raising.

"A meeting will be held between the teachers and the NJNC this week to map the way forward.

"We'll keep our ears on the ground and follow the proceedings," said Mrs Utete-Masango in an interview yesterday.

The teachers, however, insisted they would go ahead with the industrial action scheduled to start on Tuesday next week when schools open if the Government does not address their grievances.

They said the meeting, which was attended by six unions, did not yield any results.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) secretary general Mr Tapson Nganunu Sibanda said the association was already sending a circular to its members with guidelines on how they will stage their industrial action.

"In essence, the Permanent Secretary called the meeting so that she could find out to what extent we are committed and prepared for an industrial action next week, of which we categorically stated that there was no going back on the intended industrial action," said Mr Sibanda.

He said the issues deliberated on included sector specific issues such as vacation leave, relief on teachers on maternity leave, allowances like education allowance (20 percent of basic salary), responsibility allowances and acting allowances.