Government rules out teacher pay rise – ZimEye
Government rules out teacher pay rise
By- The government has said it is not going to review teacher salaries anytime soon.
The government has said it cannot raise teachers’ salaries every time schools open.
Public Service and Welfare Minister Paul Mavima said on Friday, April 29 NewsDay that teachers’ packages cannot be changed each time schools open and that educators need to be patient while their grievances are addressed through dialogue. Mavima said:
We have just changed the plan for teachers, and we cannot change this plan each time schools open.
We are entering the second quarter and we need them to be patient and go through the negotiation process.
If a review is required, it will be determined during the negotiation process.
We also need to realize that there was something special we did for teachers, including the $20,000 per child tuition package, which will support up to three children in government institutions.
Mavima said the government will facilitate the construction of decent housing for public school teachers. He said:
It will be institutional accommodation so that we don’t have any problems and the teachers must be in very good, decent accommodation.
We undertake this dynamic program to provide accommodation for teachers.
Schools are due to open for the second term on May 3, but teacher representatives have threatened not to show up for work saying they are financially unable.
The teachers want the government to revert to their pre-October 2018 salary of US$540, saying the US$175 they currently receive is unsustainable.
