Teachers scoff at the 40% RGTS salary increase

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Civil servants starting today will receive a 40% cost of living adjustment from the government, while salary negotiations between the government and the civil servants continue.

This was revealed by the Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa who said the government was negotiating in good faith during a post-cabinet briefing. Said Mutsvangwa:

Normally, Government does not effect salary adjustments without a signed agreement, but we have had to go out of our way to cushion our dedicated workers. Negotiations at the National Joint Negotiating Council will continue and any agreement arrived at will be honoured in the spirit of collective bargaining.

Government has had a long history of negotiating with its workers in good faith and increases negotiated should not work against the stability that has been achieved on the financial markets and price stability as this will fuel inflation again and erode the gains we have achieved.

Teachers are on strike as they are citing incapacitation and they are not reporting for duty since schools reopened for the writing classes on Monday.

Meanwhile negotiations between the government and Apex Council which represents almost all civil servants collapsed last month resumed yesterday.

However the ARTUZ has dismissed the government’s 40% offer as a mockery to the plight of the teachers. Instead AURT is maintaining that the government should offer a minimum salary of US$520.

Robson Chere’s union accused the government of negotiating of bad faith, adding that no teacher will set foot in any classroom until their demands were met.

–The Herald