News / National
Teachers petition Rights Commission over labour injustices
26 May 2025 at 07:55hrs | Views
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has filed a formal complaint with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), accusing the government of systematically violating the rights of teachers through inadequate salaries, suppression of collective bargaining rights, and denial of full maternity leave, among other concerns.
In a letter dated May 23, 2025, addressed to ZHRC executive secretary Delisa Mazambani, ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure highlighted a catalogue of grievances faced by teachers, particularly those in rural areas. He stated that educators have endured deplorable working conditions for years, compounded by poor pay that fails to meet the most basic living standards. He warned that ongoing efforts to engage the government in meaningful dialogue have either been ignored or met with hostility.
Masaraure cited Section 65(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees every employee the right to fair and reasonable wages. However, he said the absence of a clear benchmark to assess what is fair and reasonable has rendered the right ineffective. He pointed to the monetary chaos that followed the introduction of the RTGS dollar in 2018 and the subsequent reintroduction of the Zimbabwean dollar as critical in deepening the crisis for educators. Teachers continued to receive their salaries in local currency, even as inflation surged and the gap between the Zimbabwean dollar and the US dollar widened dramatically.
According to ARTUZ, despite a recent review of salaries to around US$250 with a small component in Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG), teachers still earn far below the monthly basket of needs for a family of five, which is pegged at US$1,300. Masaraure said many teachers have been forced into excessive borrowing just to survive, leaving them trapped in poverty despite being formally employed. He added that it has become common for teachers to declare incapacitation at the beginning of school terms, failing to report for duty because their wages no longer sustain them.
The union also criticised the continued use of legal instruments that curtail labour rights, such as Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997, which restricts the right to collective bargaining and industrial action. ARTUZ called for the full alignment of the Public Service Act with the Constitution to ensure that the rights to strike, to bargain collectively, and to access absolute paid maternity leave are fully protected and implemented.
Masaraure stressed that there is an urgent need for the government to re-engage with trade unions and rebuild a meaningful social contract with educators. He said the long-standing neglect of teachers' welfare is undermining the country's education system and violating fundamental human rights.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission is yet to issue an official response to the complaint, but ARTUZ says it remains hopeful that the commission will take up the matter and push for structural reforms to protect the rights and dignity of teachers.
In a letter dated May 23, 2025, addressed to ZHRC executive secretary Delisa Mazambani, ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure highlighted a catalogue of grievances faced by teachers, particularly those in rural areas. He stated that educators have endured deplorable working conditions for years, compounded by poor pay that fails to meet the most basic living standards. He warned that ongoing efforts to engage the government in meaningful dialogue have either been ignored or met with hostility.
Masaraure cited Section 65(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees every employee the right to fair and reasonable wages. However, he said the absence of a clear benchmark to assess what is fair and reasonable has rendered the right ineffective. He pointed to the monetary chaos that followed the introduction of the RTGS dollar in 2018 and the subsequent reintroduction of the Zimbabwean dollar as critical in deepening the crisis for educators. Teachers continued to receive their salaries in local currency, even as inflation surged and the gap between the Zimbabwean dollar and the US dollar widened dramatically.
According to ARTUZ, despite a recent review of salaries to around US$250 with a small component in Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG), teachers still earn far below the monthly basket of needs for a family of five, which is pegged at US$1,300. Masaraure said many teachers have been forced into excessive borrowing just to survive, leaving them trapped in poverty despite being formally employed. He added that it has become common for teachers to declare incapacitation at the beginning of school terms, failing to report for duty because their wages no longer sustain them.
The union also criticised the continued use of legal instruments that curtail labour rights, such as Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997, which restricts the right to collective bargaining and industrial action. ARTUZ called for the full alignment of the Public Service Act with the Constitution to ensure that the rights to strike, to bargain collectively, and to access absolute paid maternity leave are fully protected and implemented.
Masaraure stressed that there is an urgent need for the government to re-engage with trade unions and rebuild a meaningful social contract with educators. He said the long-standing neglect of teachers' welfare is undermining the country's education system and violating fundamental human rights.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission is yet to issue an official response to the complaint, but ARTUZ says it remains hopeful that the commission will take up the matter and push for structural reforms to protect the rights and dignity of teachers.
Source - online
