ARTUZ Warns Of Indefinite Strike By Teachers

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has pledged its full support for the resolutions recently passed by the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Unions (FOZEU), warning that teachers are prepared to take decisive action if government continues to ignore their plight.

In a statement released on Sunday, 07 September, ARTUZ said teachers across the country had been pushed to the brink by starvation wages, unsafe working conditions and the steady collapse of the education system.

The union restated its long-standing demand for a living wage of US$1,260, better resourcing of schools and full respect for teachers’ labour rights.

ARTUZ said the resolutions adopted by FOZEU marked a united front in the struggle for labour justice and the right to education.

The measures include opening schools with a sit-in to demonstrate that teachers are present but unable to work effectively without fair pay, joining a strike called by FOZEU, and organising for an indefinite job action through school visits and grassroots mobilisation.

The unions also agreed to reconvene in order to set a date for the indefinite strike, while creating district groups to strengthen coordination and solidarity among teachers.

The union accused government of neglecting the education sector, stressing that “an attack on teachers is an attack on the future of our children and the nation.”

ARTUZ urged teachers to rally under FOZEU’s leadership, saying only collective action could protect their dignity, secure their rights and prevent the collapse of the education system.

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