Divisions weaken teachers' lobby

LACK of cohesion among the country's teachers' unions is proving costly as their calls for better working conditions are bearing little fruit.

Government has hardly taken seriously the teachers' calls for better working conditions, a situation some analysts blame on the divisions among teachers' representative groups.

There are four main associations representing teachers namely: The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ) and the Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ).

Of these four, PTUZ tends to be militant in its approach.

ZIMTA and TUZ favour diplomacy centred on dialogue, while RTUZ, whose membership is largely in the country's marginalised areas, has tried to gain relevance through protests that have hardly made any impact.

And whenever there has been a stalemate in negotiations with government, PTUZ has almost always predictably called on its members to embark on industrial action.

But because other unions are more inclined towards dialogue, PTUZ's strike calls have been rendered ineffective.

Recent protests by RTUZ calling on government to address the plight of rural teachers have equally come to naught because none of the other comrades-in-arms have supported their cause. Its recent 200-km protest walk was prematurely abandoned halfway after participants were threatened with unspecified action by unknown people.

In November, the union is hoping to hold nationwide protests to push government to address their longstanding grievances. The demonstrations are likely to again hit a brick wall because ZIMTA and PTUZ have not endorsed the protest, despite the RTUZ leadership having sought solidarity from the two teachers' unions.

"Any unionism initiatives must work together, the Marxist dictum - workers of the world unite - being key. Anything short of unity will result in the teachers' voice remaining muted. The lack of unity appears to be more about selfishness and egos on the part of union leaders," social commentator, Rashweat Mukundu, said.

University of Johannesburg research associate, Admire Mare, suggested that teachers should have unity of purpose because strength in numbers would go a long way in accomplishing their agenda.

"Unfortunately the vortex of the political divide, which has divided trade unionism along political affiliation and ethnic lines, in some quarters, has allowed the ruling party to use divide and rule (tactics). It has become easy for the ruling elite to ignore genuine teachers' concerns because they are fronted by trade unions assumed to be affiliated to a certain opposition party. It doesn't matter whether they are rural or urban teachers, they all share certain grievances and interests, which require a united front in order to command therapeutic listening in the policy making chambers," said Mare.

PTUZ president, Takafira Zhou, said he was not aware of the RTUZ's plan protest and their request for solidarity for the planned November protests.

"We are alkaline to any meaningful engagement.  We believe in collective collaboration," said Zhou.

ZIMTA chief executive officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, doubted the possibility of unions ever working together.

"We do not just unite for the sake of uniting. We do so when there is a cause to do so. There are differences in ideological commitments, which is a sign of democratic space.

He said ZIMTA would assess the request by the rural teachers for solidarity to understand "their agenda and if it is in sync with what we believe in".

RTUZ national president, Obert Masaraure, said some associations were compromised.

"The bulk of teacher unions are compromised. They have gone to bed with the employer. Unity is healthy and can only embolden our voice. We, however, frown upon pseudo unionists who are preoccupied with fleecing money from suffering teachers but quickly sell out on critical issues," said Masaraure, without naming any union.

Zhou appeared to support Masaraure's views.

"More often than not yellow associations that romance with government call for a charade and traversing unity to betray the legitimate cause of teachers. There has been a deliberate creation of surrogate unions by political parties in order to weaken teachers' cause. Some unions take instructions from headquarters of political parties and have been created with a mandate to salivate at political parties poisoned carrots," said Zhou

"It is good for teachers to fight from one corner, but in reality there are others whose hands are greased and will start to quarrel over how we are going to share an animal we are still pursuing," he added.

Despite constituting the bulk of the 553 000-strong civil service, teachers remain the most disadvantaged group among government employees, a situation which has been largely blamed on their lack of unity.

Differences, coupled with government interference in the affairs of teachers' unions, seem to have made it difficult for teachers to unite to agitate for better working conditions.

Since the turn of the millennium, teachers' integrity has taken a sustained knock, rendering the once idolised profession into a laughing stock.

Government teachers are among the worst paid in the region, on average pocketing US$400 per month, a far cry from the poverty datum line pegged at US$550 by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.

In South Africa, for instance, the average annual salary for a high school teacher is R153, 000 (US$12 000).

Government has been failing to pay its employees on time as it grapples with an acute liquidity crisis, which has left its coffers severely haemorrhaging.

Besides earning meagre salaries, teachers, especially in rural areas, have been subject of politically-motivated violence.

Thousands have been terrorised for being Movement for Democratic Change  supporters, with some being brutalised while others died at the hands of suspected political activists.

The Public Service Commission has over the past years been accused of harassing teachers through unilateral transfers from their stations and being dragged before kangaroo hearings.

Impromptu visits to schools, which are more of fault finding missions, have left the teaching workforce battered and bruised.

However, they have failed to get protection because the unions are deeply divided and busy bickering.

Some teachers have been openly humiliated in front of colleagues and their own pupils for petty offences like not putting on a neck tie. Such incidences have tightened the rapport between teachers and their employer.

Due to the unions' crippling divisions, very little has been done to adequately push for improvement of teachers' welfare.