The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) has called for a two-day strike following the government’s failure to meet their demands.
ZCPSTU is an umbrella body for civil service unions in the country and these include the Federation of Educators Unions of Zimbabwe (FEUZ), FEDERATION OF Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU), Nurses Federation of Zimbabwe (NFoz) and the Public Sector Association (PSA).
The two-day job stoppage comes at a time when ZCPSTU’s 14-day notice where they demanded their employer to meet their demands of tackling incapacitation had expired.
Part of the letter dated July 25th and directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Paul Mavhima reads.
“The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) hereby notify your office of a planned two day job stoppage commencing on Wednesday 27 July 2022, ending on Thursday 28 July 2022. This follows the elapse of our 14 day notice to your office which made demands on the employer, which to date have not been addressed.”
They demanded a restoration of the value of their wages to pre-October 2018 levels, to be paid in United States Dollars and not in local currency with immediate effect.
They also want a wave of suspensions to be ended together with summary dismissals, illegal disallowances and victimization of teachers and nurses for exercising their democratic right to organize and demonstrate for a fair and reasonable wage.
The government is well known for victimizing civil servants who speak out about their poor salaries. Former Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association president, Peter Magombeyi was in 2019 allegedly abducted after he led a strike by Zimbabwean doctors from public hospitals.
Recently Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) leader, Obert Masaraure was jailed for speaking out for decent salaries. He was however charged for allegedly murdering a man six years ago.
The government has also unleashed the police on nurses.
“The employer should desist from the bashing of union leadership for exercising their representative roles as messengers of their voiceless membership. The employer should speedily implement all collective agreements fully as in school fees payment for the children of educators.
ZCPSTU in their letter also demanded the payment of a medical allowance to all civil servants without discrimination as well as a speedy alignment of the Labour law regime towards the establishment of a long overdue collective bargaining council.
