The Fight for Fair Wages: Zimbabwe Teachers’ Struggles Against a Silent Wall

There has been a new blow to the fight for higher pay in Zimbabwe’s public sector, especially for teachers. The difference between expectations and reality is still excruciatingly large, even after their court application was denied.

Teachers thought the law would be their ally in a nation where economic woes and inflation were only going to become worse. However, as the latest decision from the High Court demonstrates, their wish for improved working conditions has been let down.

Teachers’ unions have been fervently pushing for significant pay increases for many years. In a legal struggle against the government over stagnating pay and worsening circumstances, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, and Educators Union of Zimbabwe banded together.

Their complaints were aimed at the Public Service Commission, and they demanded answers from important figures, like as President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube. Their disagreement? that, in accordance with section 65(1) of the Constitution, the authorities had violated the right to collective bargaining.

The National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) was viewed by the unions as being ineffective since it had not offered any relief throughout the years. They said they were denied access to the negotiation process that was required to obtain equitable compensation.

However, the High Court had a different perspective. Judge Lucy Mungwari dismissed the educators’ appeal, finding that the unions had not proven that the NJNC or the government’s inability to abide by their demands had seriously harmed the instructors.

This judicial failure reveals a far deeper, systemic concern. Despite the fact that educators may disagree over constitutionally protected rights, the court determined that the issue was purely scholarly. Instructors had not demonstrated a tangible harm or a failure to use such rights.

Teachers have sought US$1,260 for the lowest-paid worker due to the rising cost of living and inflation. They used to want at least US$540, but inflationary pressures are making pay even more outdated.

Given that many retailers today only price their items in US dollars, their income is still stuck in a system that doesn’t seem to want to change with the times. Zimbabwe’s new currency, ZiG, has been in freefall, producing further turmoil for state personnel whose salaries fail to stretch far enough.

The judicial setback is a loss for the entire civil service as well as for teachers, who have long relied on NJNC to handle their issues. Regretfully, there hasn’t always been much relief provided by the NJNC. The council was abandoned by civil servants in 2022 following years of ineffective negotiations.

Even though it was obvious that their financial difficulties were growing, their sessions ended with no real results.

The council was set up to guarantee fair salary negotiations between the government and civil officials, and the unions felt that it was not carrying out its purpose. Government officials are frequently charged for stalling or flatly rejecting agreements made during talks, allowing public sector employees to deal with increasing difficulties on their own.

It’s important to remember that this goes beyond instructors asking for more money. It concerns laborers attempting to save their dignity in a rapidly collapsing economy.

Like many other Zimbabweans, these teachers are trapped in the grips of a financial crisis made worse by a depreciating currency and a government that doesn’t appear to care about their predicament. They have to confront the harsh truth: what other options do they have if the courts refuse to get involved?

Given the state of the economy, things could get worse. Teachers—and in fact, all federal servants—are likely to continue feeling the heat as long as the government ignores inflationary adjustments and fails to address the underlying issue of collective bargaining rights.

Furthermore, enthusiasm for reform is beginning to fade as unions feel marginalized and the NJNC’s legitimacy is called into doubt. The unions might have to reconsider their tactics and seek for non-legal means of enacting change.

This goes beyond a straightforward pay dispute in the end. It is an indication of the more general difficulties Zimbabwe’s civil service is facing. A sizable portion of the workforce is in the dark as a result of the NJNC’s demonstrated incapacity to lead these negotiations.

Although teachers were negatively impacted by the recent court decision, the public sector as a whole bears the brunt of this. Government hesitancy, sluggish execution, and reprimands such as this one only serve to inflame already dangerous circumstances.

The question that still has to be answered is how long government servants will have to put up with these circumstances before those in positions of authority take meaningful action. Teachers’ prospects are uncertain as they are once again silenced by legal technicalities and bureaucracy.

The Zim Bulletin