Zimbabwe teachers to work 3 days a week over pay crisis

THE Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has notified the Government that its members will report for duty for only three days a week during the third term, which began on Tuesday, September 8.

In a letter dated September 7 and addressed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, ARTUZ national secretary-general Munyaradzi Masiyiwa said teachers remained incapacitated by low salaries.

He said teachers would dedicate the remaining two days of the working week to income-generating activities to supplement their salaries.

The letter was copied to the chairperson of the Public Service Commission.

Masiyiwa said the position was a continuation of an incapacitation notice filed by the union with the Ministry on January 12, 2026, which he said remained unresolved.

"On behalf of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe members, we write to notify you that our members will only be reporting for duty for three days each week and dedicating the other two days of the week to supplement their salaries," the letter reads.

ARTUZ said the decision had been prompted by an unresolved salary crisis that had left public service teachers struggling to afford daily transport and other costs associated with reporting for duty.

The union said its assessment of teachers' living and working conditions showed that a basic salary of at least US$1 260 was required to maintain a standard of living that upheld human dignity.

"This development has been necessitated by the unresolved salary crisis that has caused public service teachers to remain incapacitated to report for duty. Our assessment of the living and working conditions of teachers put a minimum of US$1 260 as the minimum basic payment that will enable teachers to afford a living standard that upholds human dignity," Masiyiwa wrote.

ARTUZ urged the Government to urgently address teachers' remuneration to ensure a smooth school term and uninterrupted learning.

The notice comes as schools enter a crucial third term that includes public examinations for Grade 7, Form Four and Upper Six learners.

ARTUZ, which has a strong presence in rural areas where teachers face additional challenges such as transport difficulties, poor accommodation and limited incentives, has consistently called for teachers' salaries to be pegged in US dollars.

Public service teachers have for years complained that their largely local-currency salaries have been eroded by inflation and rising living costs, forcing many to engage in side businesses and other income-generating activities to supplement their earnings.