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Teachers threaten mass action against poor pay, allowance
Jonga Kandemiiri, Voice of America (VOA)
May 22, 2007

http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2007-05-22-voa55.cfm

Some of Zimbabwe's teachers have stopped going to work, because they said they don't have money. Many said they have not received the hardship allowance promised to them last month, by Education Minister Aenias Chigwedere.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association president, Peter Mabhande, confirmed that some teachers had embarked on an unsanctioned work boycott, but told VOA that they are in negotiations with the government.

Mabhande further added that current salaries and allowances are too low for teachers to live on.

Zimbabwe's weekly independent paper, The Standard, reported that civil servants had declined a 200% salary increase offered by the government.

Reports says workers told the government, at a meeting with the Apex Council which represents civil servants, that they wanted a minimum of Z$2,6 million a month, for the lowest paid civil servants.

But teachers are now demanding a minimum monthly salary of $4.5 million and a maximum of Z$8 million a month.

The president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Takavafira Zhou, told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, that his union is under a lot of pressure from its members, who are threatening to go on strike next week, if there demands are not met.

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