NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (Nust) lecturers and non-teaching staff yesterday went on an indefinite strike action protesting late payment of February salaries and bonuses.
NQOBANI NDLOVU STAFF REPORTER
A meeting of Nust lecturers and the non-teaching staff held at the institution yesterday resolved to boycott classes until the government paid them their outstanding salaries and bonuses.
The university made a belated offer to give the staff $230 as an advance on their February salaries, but this was roundly rejected by the lecturers, who insisted on going on strike.
Nust’s director of communication and marketing Felix Moyo confirmed the strike in an interview yesterday.
“The academic staff are saying they have stopped coming to work immediately until their February salary is paid in full,” he said.
“The non-teaching staff are saying they will not be coming to work until they are paid their February salaries.
“The non-teaching staff said they will come back to work on Monday to monitor the situation and will go back home if they are still not paid.”
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Moyo said the academic staff had given a two-week notice to go on strike if their bonuses were not paid.
“The academic staff said they are giving a two weeks’ notice to go on full-scale industrial action until their bonus is paid,” he said.
“At the end of the notice, they begin a collective job action over the bonus. The non-teaching staff did not make any reference to their bonus.”
Nust joins Great Zimbabwe University whose lecturers went on strike last week, also demanding bonuses and February salaries.
Last month, State lecturers countrywide clashed with the government over the late payment of their January salaries and the outstanding bonus.
The government only paid their January salaries in mid-February.
Early this month, Higher and Tertiary Education deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa said bonus payments had been staggered, starting with the payment of University of Zimbabwe lecturers with the rest to receive theirs as and when funds are available.
Nust lecturers were last year taken to the Labour ministry by the university management after they went on an indefinite strike action over unpaid salaries and allowances.
The government admits that there is a mismatch over its expenditure and financial inflows to the Treasury hence it is struggling to pay salaries.
