News / National
Zimta demands forex bonuses for teachers
09 Nov 2021 at 05:35hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (Zimta) has demanded that teachers' bonuses be paid in foreign currency to cushion them against inflation.
Bonuses for teachers are due this month.
Teachers also want allowances for examinations invigilators to be paid directly by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec), saying this will guarantee the quality of examinations while motivating teachers and introducing equity in the treatment of those that manage exams.
The Zimta leadership held an emergency meeting at the weekend to consolidate provincial recommendations regarding teachers' salaries, bonuses, sector specific allowances and invigilation fees.
The declaration, termed the Ehlekweni Declaration, demands that the employer pays the 2021 bonuses for educators in full this month to cushion them against inflation-induced income losses.
Zimta is the biggest teachers' union with more than 40 000 members.
"The declaration demands that Government pays educators' 2021 bonuses in United States dollars as this is the only way to ensure that educators are cushioned and protected from crushing into further incapacitation and poverty while in the employ of the Government of Zimbabwe.
"Because teachers are sinking deeper into incapacitation each and every day, this is the only way to avert crushing them deeper into poverty and dysfunction. The educators are demanding that Government puts in place a facility that enables teachers to access the weekly US$50 from their individual nostro accounts.
This has been necessitated by failure of the majority to access their weekly forex allocations availed to them via local banks and Bureau de Changes by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Ultimately, this move will enable educators to access part of their salaries in USD and eventually solve a longstanding grievance from the teachers," said Zimta president Mr Richard Gundane in a statement.
He said teachers are also demanding that the employer pays for all their sector specific allowances with effect from next month.
"Evidence at hand has proved that Zimsec has the capacity to pay for invigilation of exams by teachers. Most importantly, the salary for a Grade D level teacher of US$540 has to be honoured by November 2021 at the latest," said Mr Gundane.
He said failure by the employer to meet these demands within the specified timeframes may lead into disruptions of learning and examinations.
This could affect education reforms being implemented by Government.
Bonuses for teachers are due this month.
Teachers also want allowances for examinations invigilators to be paid directly by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec), saying this will guarantee the quality of examinations while motivating teachers and introducing equity in the treatment of those that manage exams.
The Zimta leadership held an emergency meeting at the weekend to consolidate provincial recommendations regarding teachers' salaries, bonuses, sector specific allowances and invigilation fees.
The declaration, termed the Ehlekweni Declaration, demands that the employer pays the 2021 bonuses for educators in full this month to cushion them against inflation-induced income losses.
Zimta is the biggest teachers' union with more than 40 000 members.
"The declaration demands that Government pays educators' 2021 bonuses in United States dollars as this is the only way to ensure that educators are cushioned and protected from crushing into further incapacitation and poverty while in the employ of the Government of Zimbabwe.
"Because teachers are sinking deeper into incapacitation each and every day, this is the only way to avert crushing them deeper into poverty and dysfunction. The educators are demanding that Government puts in place a facility that enables teachers to access the weekly US$50 from their individual nostro accounts.
This has been necessitated by failure of the majority to access their weekly forex allocations availed to them via local banks and Bureau de Changes by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Ultimately, this move will enable educators to access part of their salaries in USD and eventually solve a longstanding grievance from the teachers," said Zimta president Mr Richard Gundane in a statement.
He said teachers are also demanding that the employer pays for all their sector specific allowances with effect from next month.
"Evidence at hand has proved that Zimsec has the capacity to pay for invigilation of exams by teachers. Most importantly, the salary for a Grade D level teacher of US$540 has to be honoured by November 2021 at the latest," said Mr Gundane.
He said failure by the employer to meet these demands within the specified timeframes may lead into disruptions of learning and examinations.
This could affect education reforms being implemented by Government.
Source - The Chronicle
