Teachers accuse Mthuli Ncube of salary hike delay tactics

THE Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has criticised Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube's assertion that salary increments for civil servants cannot be implemented before the completion of a job evaluation exercise, saying the explanation is a tactic meant to delay much-needed pay rises.

Teachers and other civil servants currently earn a monthly salary of about US$270, supplemented by a Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG) component, which unions say is grossly inadequate and far below the Poverty Datum Line.

Treasury has begun a process aimed at rationalising costs, eliminating ghost workers and introducing a new pay structure anchored on job evaluations to guide future salary adjustments. However, PTUZ president Mr Takavafira Zhou accused the Government of using the process to postpone addressing teachers' remuneration concerns.

"Whereas we expected an urgent intervention before the opening of schools, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Prof Mthuli Ncube, has intimated that a salary review will await an infinite job evaluation process. This may be a ploy to deliberately give hope and prolong teachers' suffering," said Mr Zhou.

The union also took aim at the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Torerai Moyo, accusing him of focusing on "trivialities" by introducing extra monitoring and increased supervision of teachers, including conducting personal visits to schools across the country.

PTUZ urged Dr Moyo to prioritise engagement with teachers on substantive issues rather than concentrating on schemes of work, which it said were already being adequately managed by school heads and heads of departments.

The union called on the minister to instead focus on addressing the high brain drain in the education sector, the low budget allocation to the ministry — which stands at 16,3 percent of the national budget — and other challenges affecting schools.

Among its demands, PTUZ called for a rescue package or cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to help teachers cope with rising prices, a basic salary of US$540 per month, a rural and hardship allowance equivalent to 30 percent of basic pay, and realistic transport and housing allowances.

The union also demanded a transparent, consultative and time-bound job evaluation process.

"Teachers are tired of so many people attacking them for doing so much with so little. There is, therefore, a greater need for unity of purpose across teacher unions, or even across the civil servants' divide, in order to build a critical force that can unreservedly and unflinchingly push legitimate demands by all means necessary," PTUZ said.