By Leonnel Mhuka
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) aid that their have since called off their planned nationwide protests which were aimed at preessuring the government of Zimbabwe to improve the rural teachers’ wages and improve their wages.
In a statement seen by Change Radio, the union started by saluting the bravery and commitment of its members who took part in their surveys to determine whether or note to go ahead with the said protests and those who were ready to participate in the protests.
The statement outlines the reasons behind the strike’s failure and discusses the union’s plans for future action to ensure the ongoing struggle for educators’ rights and dignified working conditions.
ARTUZ mentioned three critical reasons for the strike’s failure: the disruption caused by “yellow” unions whom they said undermined the strike’s momentum, the pervasive fear of victimization among teachers and the economic desperation that made it difficult for many to sacrifice even a day of wages. Despite this setback, ARTUZ said they remain committed to advocating for fair compensation and better working conditions for all teachers in Zimbabwe promising that they will, at some point, shutdown the public schools if their demands are not met.
Read their Statement below:
ARTUZ STATEMENT ON THE TEACHERS`S STRIKE
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe salutes its gallant members and other teachers who heeded the call to withdraw labour to force the employer, who is the government, to stop paying starvation salaries and to give its workers a dignified life.
We are calling off the job action and asking our resolute comrades and other teachers to report for duty. We have conducted a survey and we accept that the numbers of the teachers who responded to the call are too low. The strike has failed.
Our analysis of the failure of the job action has revealed the following:
Yellow, sweetheart, or darling teacher trade unions who have long sold out the struggle of teachers and now doing the bidding of the employer, have in cahoots with other dubious public sector labour bodies, been derailing the momentum of the build up to the strike by using their proximity to government, to send conflicting messages to the teachers including actively demobilizing the strike and distancing themselves from the call.
Fear of victimization has gripped the teaching fraternity as threats were issued including circulars from provincial and district education inspectors instructing school heads to identify and report teachers who would participate in the strike.
Economic desperation has left teachers and other government workers unable to forfeit even the most meagre income in order to advance the collective agenda. Zanupf has impoverished workers and the citizens in general to the extent where people no longer have the capacity to resist exploitation and oppression. Teachers now report for duty to do small scale vending, extra lessons, and other hustles to supplement their low incomes.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe whilst acknowledging the failure of the strike, and also to protect its members and other teachers from unnecessary targeting and victimization which comes when small numbers engage in job action, will from Monday, 13 May 2024 embark on creative dilemma actions that will sustain pressure on the employer until the demand for a living wage is respected and teachers are paid.
We remind the teachers ,the government workers ,the workers in Zimbabwe, and the citizens in general that as Karl Marx and Frederick Angels taught the working class long ago, let us unite for we have nothing to lose but our chains.
We will totally shut down the public schools someday if our demands are not met. Let us continue building the momentum. Teachers go back to work. We live to fight another day.
