Opinion / Columnist
Mnangagwa's secret meeting divides teachers
01 Nov 2020 at 03:34hrs | Views
A secret meeting between President emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has divided unions, who are pushing the government to improve working conditions for their members.
Teachers at public schools have been refusing to return to classrooms since the government began a phased reopening of schools in September after a prolonged break due to Covid-19.
The teachers are demanding foreign currency-indexed salaries and provision of personal protective equipment before they resume work.
In a rare development, at least eight unions representing teachers have presented a united front, but Zimta's meeting with Mnangagwa on October 26 seems to have driven a wedge between the labour leaders.
Zimta executive secretary Sifiso Ndlovu confirmed Zimta's meeting with Mnangagwa.
"As Zimta, we had an opportunity to meet the president on Monday and addressed the socio-economic issues," Ndlovu said.
"A teacher is a social services provider and we articulated the level of incapacitation," Ndlovu said.
"The president has directed Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to look into the issue."
Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou, however, had no kind words for Zimta.
"My humble submission to colleagues in Zimta is that our current incapacitation struggle is not about how big a union is, but unity in diversity and collective decisions to guarantee maximum gains and minimum losses," Zhou said.
"At any rate, what matters in a fight is not the size of the dog, but the size of the fight. In our united front, we combine both size and agility.
"I was shocked to read a confirmation circular from Zimta that they met Mnangagwa."
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said Zimta had sold out.
"They sneaked in secrecy to the ill-fated meeting with the head of state and government," Masaraure said.
But Ndlovu said the other unions must not be confrontational, saying their meeting with Mnangagwa was not secretive as alleged.
"We did not go behind anyone's back, our letter to he (his excellency) was sent on October 16 after our national executive pressured us to intensify our search for a breakthrough," he said.
"The other unions congregated seeking solidarity and comfort later and submitted their paper to he on October 20.
"Initially, they had planned a demonstration march to Monomotapa Building to deliver the petition.
"Zimta's mandate is to represent its 42 000 members and has led the teachers' trade union movement for the last 80 years, traversing all the legal, trade union and political terrain with focus and decisiveness."
Teachers at public schools have been refusing to return to classrooms since the government began a phased reopening of schools in September after a prolonged break due to Covid-19.
The teachers are demanding foreign currency-indexed salaries and provision of personal protective equipment before they resume work.
In a rare development, at least eight unions representing teachers have presented a united front, but Zimta's meeting with Mnangagwa on October 26 seems to have driven a wedge between the labour leaders.
Zimta executive secretary Sifiso Ndlovu confirmed Zimta's meeting with Mnangagwa.
"As Zimta, we had an opportunity to meet the president on Monday and addressed the socio-economic issues," Ndlovu said.
"A teacher is a social services provider and we articulated the level of incapacitation," Ndlovu said.
"The president has directed Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to look into the issue."
Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou, however, had no kind words for Zimta.
"My humble submission to colleagues in Zimta is that our current incapacitation struggle is not about how big a union is, but unity in diversity and collective decisions to guarantee maximum gains and minimum losses," Zhou said.
"At any rate, what matters in a fight is not the size of the dog, but the size of the fight. In our united front, we combine both size and agility.
"I was shocked to read a confirmation circular from Zimta that they met Mnangagwa."
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said Zimta had sold out.
"They sneaked in secrecy to the ill-fated meeting with the head of state and government," Masaraure said.
But Ndlovu said the other unions must not be confrontational, saying their meeting with Mnangagwa was not secretive as alleged.
"We did not go behind anyone's back, our letter to he (his excellency) was sent on October 16 after our national executive pressured us to intensify our search for a breakthrough," he said.
"The other unions congregated seeking solidarity and comfort later and submitted their paper to he on October 20.
"Initially, they had planned a demonstration march to Monomotapa Building to deliver the petition.
"Zimta's mandate is to represent its 42 000 members and has led the teachers' trade union movement for the last 80 years, traversing all the legal, trade union and political terrain with focus and decisiveness."
Source - the standard
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