Teachers to work 3 days a week, hustle for 2 days – ARTUZ

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has notified the government that its members will only report for duty three days a week when schools during the 2026 the third term, which commenced on Tuesday, 08 September.

In a letter dated 07 September and addressed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, ARTUZ national secretary general Munyaradzi Masiyiwa said that teachers remain incapacitated by low salaries.

He said teachers will dedicate the other two days of the week to supplementing their salaries.

The letter was copied to the chairperson of the Public Service Commission.

Masiyiwa said the position was a continuation of a notice of incapacitation the union filed with the Ministry on 12 January 2026, which has not been resolved.

“On behalf of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe members, we write to notify you that our members will only be reporting for duty for three days each week and dedicating the other two days of the week to supplement their salaries,” the letter reads.

ARTUZ said the move has been necessitated by an unresolved salary crisis that has left public service teachers unable to afford to report for duty every day.

According to the union, an assessment of the living and working conditions of teachers shows that they need a minimum of US$1,260 as a basic salary to afford a living standard that upholds human dignity.

“This development has been necessitated by the unresolved salary crisis that has caused public service teachers to remain incapacitated to report for duty. Our assessment of the living and working conditions of teachers put a minimum of US$1260 as the minimum basic payment that will enable teachers to afford a living standard that upholds human dignity,” Masiyiwa wrote.

The union implored the government to address the salary issue to allow for a smooth opening of schools and undisturbed learning.

The notice comes as schools prepare to open for the third term, a crucial term that includes public examinations for Grade 7, Form Four and Upper Six learners.

ARTUZ, which organises mainly in rural areas where teachers face additional hardships including transport challenges, poor accommodation and lack of incentives, has been the most militant teachers’ union in recent years and has consistently demanded salaries pegged in US dollars.

Teachers across the public service have for years complained that their salaries, which are largely paid in local currency, have been eroded by inflation and no longer meet the cost of living, forcing many to engage in side hustles to survive.