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Former First Lady Grace Mugabe has awarded staff at her group of schools a 100 percent salary increase after they threatened to strike last week as the Mugabe empire continues to face a myriad of challenges.
Teachers employed under the Amai Mugabe Group of Schools in Mazowe were reportedly up in arms with their employer over poor working conditions and low salaries.
A source close to the occurrences told Nhau that Grace offered US$200 plus doubling of ZW$4 800 teachers were being paid for their services at the plush academic institution.
“Staff accepted the new offer after a meeting was held with her on the 28th last month,” said the source.
The former First Lady is reported to have cut short her trip to Dubai to meet the disgruntled employees who threatened to ground their tools if the impasse was not corrected.
She is said to have promised to review the salaries again in due course, pointing out that the group of schools was finding the current economic environment difficult to operate in.
“Grace said that in the near future salaries will be reviewed upwards and asked staff to work together with her as well as desisting from engaging in industrial action.”
Staff also raised issue of failure by the company to honour contractual agreements. It was reported that they were earning ZW$4 800 topped up with US$100 against a contract-stipulated salary of US$1 800.
General and kitchen staff reportedly earned ZW$900, equivalent to just over US$10 at the official exchange rate.
“A teacher should earn US$1 800 which is equal to a pupil’s fee. The schools are barely paying the teachers 10 percent of the supposed salary,” said an insider at the elite institution.
According to our source, on Friday November 13, 2020 the teachers threatened industrial action but former First Lady Grace Mugabe acted swiftly, sending a high-powered delegation comprising her sister Ms Gumbochuma, her daughter Bona Mugabe-Chikore and her son-in-law Simba Chikore to meet the school staff and listen to their grievances.
The staff did not comply, opting to meet Grace face to face to air their disgruntlements directly. Nhau/Indaba
