Govt raises salaries for civil servants more than 100% as teachers threaten strike

By Tererai Karimakwenda
May 30, 2007

Teachers had just begun a sit in strike on Wednesday to protest against poor salaries and working conditions when government agreed to hike salaries for its workers by more than 100%. According to a circular from the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), the lowest paid teacher will now be earning Z$2 586 000 per month, up from only Z$456 000. And the highest paid will be earning Z$4 267 000 per month, up from
Z$723 000. It now remains to be seen whether government will actually pay these salaries, after disappointing civil servants on numerous occasions in the last few years.

Meanwhile our correspondent Simon Muchemwa said some Harare teachers expressed concern over police flyers that were circulated around the schools, requesting headmasters to provide personal information about the teachers, including names, identification numbers, residential addresses, rural addresses, passport numbers, date of issue, office of issue and photographs.

Muchemwa said there was a statement on the form which said ‘the above information will help in identifying the subject.’ Many teachers who saw the forms said they now feared for their lives.

Schools in Mbare, Highfields and Glen Norah have since confirmed receipt of the forms.

A representative of the Progressive Teachers Union also indicated that several teachers in the rural areas received letters from CIOs threatening them with unspecified action if they continued to work with the opposition MDC.