Another teachers' union born

Another teachers union the Zimbabwe National Educators Union (ZNEU) has been born, a senior official has announced.

The revelations were made by Enock Paradzayi the secretary general of the union.

"We would like to take this opportunity to inform all educators, organisations and stakeholders in and outside the education system, civic society organisations, media houses and individuals within as well as across our borders of the birth of a Teachers' Trade Union in Zimbabwe called the ZIMBABWE NATIONAL EDUCATORS' UNION (ZINEU)," Paradzayi said.

"The birth of ZINEU came as a result of a research carried out to establish the causes of low levels of teachers participation in Trade Unionism and the impacts of such levels on the labour relations between teachers (employees) and government (employer)."

He said the need to carryout this research was provoked partly by the stance taken by the government of Zimbabwe in 2016 to carry out a survey to establish if teachers wanted residential stands that it was offering as payment for their 2016 bonuses or cash that Teachers Unions were saying was what teachers wanted.

"The government justified its actions by stating that all the registered Teachers Unions represented only 60 000 (43%) teachers against the 130 000 teachers that it employs. The other reason to carry out the research was that teachers have over the years been complaining about the services and benefits that they are getting from the Teachers Unions against the subscriptions that they pay to the point that some go for more than two years without receiving even a t-shirt or a diary yet they will be subscribing more than US$100 per year. Bereavement benefits are not paid and the loans are charged at very high interests of up to 30% per month among other complaints," he said.

He said the findings from the said research pointed to a need to come up with a New Teachers Union to address the various gaps existing within our education system hence the birth of ZINEU.

"ZINEU was registered on the 4th of October 2017 by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and has its Head Office in Bulawayo. ZINEU successfully applied for the APEX Council membership and was accepted on the 26th of October, 2017. ZINEU will be launch on a date and place to be announced soon and all the findings from the said research will be shared as well as its programmes to the educators," he said.

The following are the ZINEU National Executive Committee Members (Interim)
1. National President: Molvin Dube
2. National V. President: Vusumuzi Maphosa
3. Secretary General: Enock Paradzayi
4. National Treasurer: Ekel Ncube
5. Sec. for Research, Info and Publicity: Divine Manganda
6. Sec. for Sport, Arts and Culture: Dumisani Mpofu
7. Sec. for Projects: Washington Mutara
8. Sec for Recruitment: Simon Dera
9. Vice Sec for Recruitment: Thembelani Dube
10. Sec for Young Male Educators Affairs: Liem Ponai Takaya
11. Sec for Female Educators Affairs: Mercy Mtimkhulu
12. Sec for Educators with Disabilities: Tanyanyiwa Chisorochengwe

By: ENOCK PARADZAYI (SG)
For and on Behalf of ZINEU LEADERSHIP