Teachers Laugh Off 40pc Salary Increment

The government says it will pay its workers a 40 percent cost of living adjustment on Friday while negotiations continue for a more substantial pay packet.Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa made the announcement on Thursday as the government tried to break a strike by teachers after schools opened for exam-sitting classes this week.Teachers are demanding United States dollar salaries of US$520 for the lowest paid, and have accused the government of negotiating in bad faith as their salaries lag behind those of soldiers and nurses.Teachers who earn Z$3,500 (about US$42) per month have already rejected the 40 percent increment as derisory, pointing out it hardly matches inflation which is above 700 percent and is no answer to rampant price increases. Electricity has gone up 100 percent over the last week.Most government workers say they simply do not have the money to turn up for work. A large majority of public sector workers cannot afford to send their children to school or buy the formal clothing required under their contracts.The PTUZ went further, saying Government should close schools and begin serious wage negotiations.“The situation in schools is bad, more than 90 percent of teachers have abandoned their stations due to incapacitation. The government should stop endangering children, close schools and open talks with teaches’ representatives. The term will start when they recognise teachers’ worth. They should stop burying heads in the sand.”-ZimLive