UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers yesterday announced plans to stay away from work indefinitely until their grievances are addressed.
The educators want their salaries to be increased and their conditions of service improved.
About 200 lecturers gathered at the UZ main gate yesterday, sloganeering and waving placards with different messages that included “Aluta continua”, “Wages NOT woes”, “Value our work”, “Pay us US$ or We flunk your wallet”.
Their representative body, the Associations University Teachers (AUT), had initially planned a two-day protest ending today to press authorities to address their grievances.
The protest followed a High Court ruling barring university authorities and the police from disrupting their demonstration.
AUT treasurer Obvious Vengeyi said they would press on until their demands were met.
“Finally, we are here after a High Court interdict to stop the police from disrupting our picketing and the struggle for a better salary for our members will continue until victory is obtained,” Vengeyi said in his address to AUT members.
“We will not tire until our demands are met, so the strike is indefinite.”
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In a solidarity speech, Zimbabwe National Student Union representative Tafadzwa Katsande assured the lecturers of their support.
“We understand your plight better because we are your children before you are our lecturers,” Katsande said.
“Even if we don’t attend classes for the whole semester, let it be so.”
Sukoluhle Masuku, a lecturer, said UZ top management was “living large”, enjoying luxurious perks while they wallow in poverty.
The lecturers are demanding at least US$2 500 per month for a junior lecturer which they earned before October 2018.
Currently, they are being paid less than US$300, with a ZiG component of about less than US$200 when converted.
In a communiqué to members on April 23 in the possession of NewsDay, AUT president Phillemon Chamburuka said they had no option but to down tools.
“Following the superior court order last Saturday, barring the police from interfering with the strike, we wish to say that what you have before yourselves is a dead ball situation, a penalty so to say,” Chamburuka said.
“We do not want to risk being labelled political agitators; we are academics so shall our grievance be. Lastly we strongly urge you to be action oriented in your approach.”
AUT had to file an urgent High Court application seeking an interdict barring the Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General, Minister of Home Affairs, UZ and Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education from disrupting and interfering with their protest.
