Headmasters in Zimbabwe join salary protest

Published: 3 hours ago

In a rare show of unity, school heads have resolved to join teachers in demanding better pay, warning that they will not report for duty when schools reopen for the third term on September 9, 2025, unless government urgently reviews their salaries.

Traditionally, school heads have steered clear of labour actions, often serving as enforcers of government policy. But last week, they broke ranks, saying they too are struggling to survive under the current economic hardships.

The declaration followed a meeting in Harare on Thursday convened under the Federation of Educators' Union of Zimbabwe (FEUZ), which brings together the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ), the Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Union (ZRTU), the Zimbabwe Democratic Teachers Union (ZDTU), the Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads (ZINUSH) and the Zimbabwe Independent Educators Union (ZINEU).

In a statement after the meeting, FEUZ warned that schools may not open if government ignores workers' concerns.

"It demands an urgent salary review to enable its members to report for duty when schools open for the 2025 third term on September 9, 2025, failure of which will make it impossible for teachers to report for duty," the statement read.

Educators have been pressing government to restore their pre-October 2018 salary of US$540 per month, while some unions are demanding up to US$840. Currently, the average teacher earns about US$364.

The impasse has persisted despite several meetings under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC). Union leaders say government representatives have been stalling.

Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions secretary-general David Dzatsunga voiced pessimism about the possibility of negotiations before schools reopen.

"Right now, the issue of sitting down at the negotiation table has been an area of concern. We wrote to the NJNC requesting a meeting, but we have not received a response," Dzatsunga said.

"We have been to the Minister of Finance to include the cost of adjustment in the midterm fiscal policy but there is nothing like that. During the last meeting, government officials asked for time to consult, but I guess they have been consulting forever."

Asked about prospects of talks, Public Service ministry secretary Simon Masanga said he was unavailable to comment, telling reporters: "I am at a funeral."

Earlier this year, a PTUZ delegation visited President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office seeking his intervention, but no tangible progress has been made.

If the deadlock continues, schools risk staying shut when the third term begins, disrupting learning for millions of pupils.
- The Standard

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