The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) yesterday announced that public service workers would strike tomorrow and on Thursday to press for United States dollar-denominated salaries.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou said they did not need police clearance to go on strike.
“We don’t need any police clearance. We will consider other methods in the event that government fails to respond positively to the legitimate demands of civil servants. Teachers and the rest of the civil servants will not report to work,” Zhou said.
In a statement yesterday, ZCPSTU said their demands during the two-day strike include restoration of the value of their wages to pre-October 2018 levels with immediate effect.
They also want the government to stop the suspension and victimisation of teachers and nurses, to pay all medical allowances for civil servants without discrimination, as well as pay fees for teachers’ children, and for government to align labour laws and set up a collective bargaining council.
Zimbabwe Health Workers Union general secretary Lloyd Sarai said nurses were unhappy with the salary increment they got.
“We are together on the two-day strike with other civil servants because we are not happy with the salaries we are receiving. There are misconceptions that the health sector gets more than others while we are wallowing in poverty. We call for the restoration of our salaries to US dollars,” Sarai said.
However, Public Service Commission (PSC) secretary Jonathan Wutawunashe said the government expected civil servants to follow procedure and continue to diligently provide services to the public.
