Zimbabwe teachers’ unions suspend national strike

REUTERS, 11th FEBRUARY, 2019 - Zimbabwean teachers have suspended a national strike seeking better pay, unions said on Sunday, but warned that they could walk out from their jobs again if the government did not meet their demands.

Teachers went on strike on Feb. 5 after negotiations between the government and public-sector workers broke down, heightening political tension after last month’s violent protests that were met by a security crackdown.

Teachers’ unions met Education Minister Paul Mavima in Harare and agreed to return to work on Monday.

The two biggest unions, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association and the Progressive Teachers’ Union, said after the meeting that the government should take advantage of the “detente to instrospect and come up with well thought out, meaningful, and long-lasting solutions on the salaries grievances”.

Failure by the government to meet their demands would see teachers going back on strike, the unions said, giving no timeline.
Mavima could not immediately be reached for comment.