Teachers, Mavhima clash over salaries

Teachers have condemned Primary and Secondary Education minister Paul Mavhima who recently ruled out the possibility of government reviewing teachers' salaries.

Addressing members of the National association of Primary School Heads (Naph) during a conference in Victoria Falls on Wednesday, Mavhima said government was not in a position to meet the salary increase demands due to outstretched resources.

Progressive Teacher's Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Ray Majongwe described Mavhima's utterances as unacceptable, irresponsible and retrogressive.
Majongwe said Mavhima is out of order as he is not their employer.

"For the record, the issue of salaries is under the purview of the employer, that is the Public Service Commission.

"How then can someone who is head of a ministry suddenly become the employer? This baffles logic and common sense," Majongwe said.

"Mavhima is on record that he is not the employer but has suddenly become one. The issue of salaries is a product of collective bargaining as is provided for by the law. Even the employer cannot unilaterally make such dangerous declarations."

He also said all current salaries have become worthless in light of the liquidity crisis, price increases, unilateral two percent transaction tax and the bond.

Majongwe called on teachers to brace for combative resistance against the "insensitive government."

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) secretary-general Tapson Nganunu Sibanda also condemned Mavhima's utterances.

"It is common cause that since the presentation of the Monetary and Fiscal policies by both the RBZ governor and the minister of Finance on October 1, 2018, the market ruthlessly responded by raising prices to unreasonable levels," Sibanda said.

"This is a fact that can neither be disputed nor ignored and it is therefore within the purview of the minister if Labour and Social Welfare to ensure that civil servants in general and teachers in particular are cushioned."