Following a week of intense pressure from workers, the government has offered a 6,66% salary review on the USD component to move the salary from US$300 to US$320 and a 49% increase on the ZWL payment with effect from 1 January, 2024.
This was announced at a National Joint Negotiating Council meeting this week.
The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association National Secretary General Goodwill Taderera, in a circular, raised concerns over the lack of consultation by the employer before the salary review.
“This meeting was hastily convened and there was no room to discuss positions. It closed out a deep analysis of the economic experiences by workers. As a result of the lack of accommodation of workers’ views and the paltry awards, the workers’ team refused to accept the offer but allowed the employer to pay the unagreed figures,” he said.
“Further work still needs to be done through a planned consultative workshop on the salary dilemma for the civil service.”
Taderera said the sum effect of the salary change meant that all the teaching grades do not get to US$500.
Teachers are demanding US$840 per month although the ideal salary would be US$1340, according to scientific research by ZIMTA.
Taderera added that the government promised to expedite the system to fix the distortions in grading and salaries.
“In its response, the government reported that the distortions, which in education have pitted teachers against District Inspectors and related levels, by indicating that the distortions will be corrected through the current job evaluation exercise. The job evaluation exercise aims at harmonisation of the civil service remuneration framework and the said report has since been submitted to the cabinet,” he said.
On clothing allowance for teachers, Taderera said more research was required to justify the payment, which is given to other government workers such as nurses, ZIMRA, and Immigration officers.
Last week, ZIMTA Women’s Representative Juliet Chikomo suggested that teachers be given a clothing allowance to match the government’s “dress code”.
