Published: 28 September 2019

RURAL teachers have threatened fresh protests to push the government to improve their salaries.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure said salaries for civil servants had been eroded by inflation and the struggle is now ripe more than any other time.

"We are preparing for decentralised street protests which will be held in all provinces," he said.
Masaraure said the paltry salaries they were receiving monthly have since been eroded by inflation and they can no longer cope.

"Our salaries are not taking us anywhere. The pay day is now a non-event. We are now living like paupers and cannot afford basic needs and we have completely lost our dignity," he said.

Several Artuz members were last month arrested after staging a demonstration at Finance minister Mthuli Ncube's office in Harare.

Masaraure said the planned action is expected to change the mindset of the employer towards improving the lives of civil servants.

The educators are reportedly going to report for work, but not perform their duties.

Government recently increased civil servants' salaries to just over $1 000 for the least paid, but teachers and other government workers were demanding a restoration of their US dollar-based salaries or the equivalent using the prevailing intermarket bank rate.
- newsday

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