Teachers strike, demand payment in forex

Teachers strike, demand payment in forex

• Strategies for reviving education system

• Zimbabwe delays school term by 2 weeks

• Teachers' union calls for exams to be scrapped

• 16 boys expelled from Cyrene for roasting school pigs

• Mugabe fails to pay promised salaries to teachers

• Teachers call of strike after massive wage hike

• Mugabe says 'good salaries' approved for civil servants

• Mugabe promises to address striking teachers' plight

Posted to the web: 23/01/2009 15:14:13
A TEACHERS' union Thursday vowed to remain on strike until President Robert Mugabe's government starts paying them in foreign currency, and urged parents not pay their children's school fees.

The start of the new school year has already been delayed by two weeks because last year's exams were not graded, after teachers demanded payment in foreign currency to mark them.

Classes are now scheduled to open on Tuesday, but Takavafira Zhou, head of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, told reporters that teachers would not show up until their demands were met.

"Whatever day the minister announces that schools are opening, our industrial action continues unless we are paid US$2,200 per month," Zhou said.

"Parents are encouraged not to pay school fees. If you pay, pay knowing that we are not going to teach, so be warned," he added.

Teachers went on strike for the greater part of 2008 demanding to be paid salaries in line with the ever rising inflation, last estimated at 231 million percent in July, but believed to be many multiples higher now.

This month teachers were paid Z$26 trillion, today worth about three US dollars on the parallel market where most currency trading is done.

Schools have proposed charging fees in foreign currency as the Zimbabwe dollar shrivels in value every day.

Zhou also expressed concern at the shortage of proper sanitation at many schools, with a cholera epidemic wrecking havoc across the country, killing more than 2,700 people since August.

"Do we have adequate sanitary facilities at our schools? Does government have a response plan to deal with potential incidences of cholera in schools?" Zhou said.

Zimbabwe hasn't had a proper government since disputed elections last March. South Africa plans to host a regional summit on Monday to press Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai into forming a unity government. - AFP

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