Lecturers get pay hikes

By Violet Gonda
14 March 2010

Doctors, teachers and other civil servants in Zimbabwe have been on strike demanding better wages but most of them had been forced to trickle back to work because the government insists it has no money. Despite these cash constraints university lecturers have now become the only group that has been promised salary increases of between $300 and $800, backdated to January.

University World News reports that top-paid academics will now earn US$800 a month, up from $290. It is reported the decision to increase their salaries was an attempt to stop the massive brain drain that has resulted in the exodus of lecturers. 1200 academics are needed at the University of Zimbabwe alone, but the institution has fewer than 500.

These latest developments have been welcomed by the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, one of the unions that has been spearheading the strike by civil servants. PTUZ Secretary General Raymond Majongwe said the teachers were happy that their colleagues in tertiary education had been given an increment. “We feel encouraged by the fact they (authorities) gave lecturers an increment, which means they won’t have any other arguments because we are people working in the same industry and therefore our case will actually be stronger.”

The Secretary General believes the lecturers received the hikes first because they are a smaller group and that their salaries are being raised through the payments that students are making. But Majongwe said: “The government has the oldest tricks in the book at its fingertips – part of which is the divide and rule tactics, where they please one group and disadvantage the other.”

Majongwe said the civil servants, like teachers, had so far not received any update about their wage demands and they will continue to push the government to improve the conditions of service. The disgruntled groups were supposed to meet to discuss the issue with government on Tuesday but have been told that they will meet the authorities on the March 23rd.

“We are very angry and we are very bitter because government is taking us for granted and it appears our calls are not being listened to and being respected.”

Majongwe warned that the government is in for a rude awakening if it does not respect their demands. He said there is a lot of money in government and a lot of mineral wealth, such as the diamonds in the Chiadzwa area. “The only problem is it might not be trickling into the national coffers and there are a lot of misplaced priorities.”

“If government was honourable and tell us they are ready to pay salaries in the range of $300 to $400 as a start that would be good, then we would know that negotiations don’t end there and we keep on bargaining. Not the $160 that teachers and the other civil servants are earning as we speak.”