By Alois Vinga
THE Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ says the majority of civil servants are taking home a paltry US$80 per month due to loan deductions.
The workers group is blaming the government for the meagre salaries which are leaving civil servants with no choice except to solicit loans from their respective banks to make ends meet.
“We are seriously concerned with the debt levels among teachers. A survey conducted by the Union has revealed that around 30% of teachers are earning incomes below US$ 80 monthly; around 70% lose over 50% of their income towards debt servicing. Less than 5% of teachers are not in unsustainable debt.
“In some sad stories, some teachers no longer receive any income monthly. One teacher says she borrows monthly to service the interests of a debt accrued in the past. The teacher is not paying back the debt but just borrowing to offset interests,” said ARTUZ.
The workers group accused the employer of robbing government workers of their incomes through currency debauchery in October 2018 after reducing the US$540, 00 that civil servants used to earn to a paltry US$ 30 equivalent at some point.
“The government may if it chooses to atone for the violations of the constitution which led to the debt crisis, completely assume debt for all Civil Servants as was the case in 2013 for ratepayers and 2015 for farm mechanization. It is in the best interest of the employer to ease the debt burden on the shoulders of employees,” said ARTUZ.
The union also called for dialogue on how the debt crisis affecting teachers and civil servants can be dealt with once and for all, a debt audit to determine the quantum of debt on the shoulders of Civil servants, community dialogues on the debt question to enhance agency and a debt resolution Research with evidence and more nuanced solutions.
ARTUZ also added that debt bargaining meetings between employers and Unions as well as civil servants’ advocacy for debt resolution can also be put in place to resolve the crisis.
