Give negotiations a chance, Govt urges teachers

Government has implored teachers not to participate in any "unlawful" and "highly premature" strike that is being called for by some of the teacher union leaders, saying they should "give negotiations a chance".

Addressing journalists in the capital, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said Government is committed to improving the working conditions of teachers.

He added that civil servants – who negotiate with Government through the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) – are legally expected to negotiate at least three times before declaring a deadlock.

Two meetings have been held so far.

"The five education sector unions threatened to take strike action without even attempting to give negotiations a chance.

"Government is therefore calling upon all teachers not to participate in this unlawful and highly premature strike action called for by some of the union leaders who may not have the same agenda of improving conditions of service for the teachers," said Minister Mumbengegwi.

"Government would like to assure all teachers that it is it's objective to improve the working conditions of teachers who play a crucial role in the making of future leaders.

"Furthermore, Government wishes to assure all members of the Civil Service of this same commitment.

"Government is committed to negotiate with the Apex Council in good faith."

Government says under current regulations, there are established procedures of conducting negotiations with civil servants, particularly through provisions of Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997, which establishes the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council.

"The said instrument provides for the procedure in which worker representatives engage with Government representatives by engaging in mutual consultations and negotiate salaries, allowances and other conditions of service in the Public Service," he said.

According to Minister Mumbengegwi, the Apex Council, an umbrella body of all public service employees which participates in the NJNC, has since submitted a detailed report on civil servants concerns.

The report is expected to be discussed tomorrow.

"The Apex Council met with Government as a Joint Negotiating Council on April 20, 2018 and the next meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 4 2018 to consider the detailed position paper presented by the Apex Council as part of the negotiating process. Under Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997, the National Joint Negotiating Council is required to meet and negotiate for at least three sessions before declaring a deadlock. We have not reached that stage," said Minister Mumbengegwi

"Therefore any strike action would not only be unlawful, but also highly premature. We must give negotiations a chance. The five education unions should show respect for the negotiation process rather than undermining it by being confrontational.

"If these five leaders who are threatening to go on strike are truly representing the workers, then they must abandon the confrontational approach and instead follow dialogue as prescribed by law."

Government also says children should not be prejudiced through ill-conceived job action.

"Let us reject any attempt by some leaders in the education sector to hold our children to ransom.

"Children are our greatest assets. Let us protect their well being and right to education as guaranteed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe," said Minister Mumbengegwi.

Teachers' unions, which fall under the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (Fozeu) – Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Zimbabwe Teachers' Union (Zimta), Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz), Zimbabwe National Teachers' Union (Zinatu), Zimbabwe Democratic Teachers' Union (ZDTU) and Professional Educators' Union of Zimbabwe (PEUZ) – have threatened to strike when schools open next week.

They argue that Government should negotiate with them separately since they have peculiar concerns compared to other civil servants.