Artuz calls off strike owing to low response to jo...

Artuz calls off strike owing to low response to job action call

Zim Now Writer

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has called off its job strike following a low response to the call for action against its employers.

Artuz said the failure of the strike is due to “darling teachers unions” who have distanced themselves from the action.

“We are calling off the job action and asking our resolute comrades and other teachers to report for duty. We have conducted a survey and we accept that the numbers of the teachers who responded to the call are too low. The strike has failed.

“Our analysis of the failure of the job action has revealed the following: Yellow, sweetheart, or darling teacher trade unions who have long sold out the struggle of teachers and now doing the bidding of the employer, have in cahoots with other dubious public sector labour bodies, been derailing the momentum of the build-up to the strike by using their proximity to government, to send conflicting messages to the teachers, including actively demobilising the strike and distancing themselves from the call,” the Union said.

Artuz also stated that economic desperation has left teachers and other government workers unable to forfeit even the most meagre income in order to advance the collective agenda.

“Workers and the citizens in general have been impoverished to the extent where people no longer have the capacity to resist exploitation and oppression.

“Teachers now report for duty to do small scale vending, extra lessons, and other hustles to supplement their low incomes.

“Fear of victimisation has gripped the teaching fraternity as threats were issued, including circulars from provincial and district education inspectors instructing school heads to identify and report teachers who would participate in the strike.”

To protect its members and other teachers from unnecessary victimisation, the Union will from Monday embark on subtle actions that will sustain pressure on the employer until the demand “for a living wage is respected and teachers are paid”.