TEACHERS' PAY INCREASE FALLS SHORT OF DEMANDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000906

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NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND E. LOKEN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: PHUM ELAB PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: TEACHERS' PAY INCREASE FALLS SHORT OF DEMANDS

Classified By: Poloff Scott Higgins, reason: 1.4 d

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Teachers' Strike Brings Schools to Standstill
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1. (U) On October 4, Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (ZIMTA)
called off a three-day strike that had brought the country's
public school system to a halt. The Civil Service
Association Apex Council, which represents all civil
servants, including teachers, accepted on October 3 the
government's offer of Z$14.8 million (about US$30 at the
parallel market rate) as the minimum wage for teachers. The
lowest paid teacher had been earning Z$2.6 million (about
US$5) before the increase. The new minimum wage for
teachers, which is still below the Z$16.7 million (about
US$33) poverty datum line (PDL),is not pegged to the PDL and
will quickly be overtaken by soaring inflation.

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Ending Strike Is A Split Decision
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2. (C) ZIMTA President Tendai Chikowore (who also currently
serves as the chairperson of the Apex Council) told us on
October 3 that ZIMTA leadership decided to tell its 55,000
members to go on strike on October 1 after weeks of futile
negotiations with the government. Chikowore said "in reality
many teachers were not reporting to work already because
daily transportation costs were more than a day's wages."
Chikowore told poloff on October 4 that she accepted the
Z$14.8 million offer even though it was less than demands and
not linked to the PDL because she felt it was important to
immediately get teachers "some relief" from worsening
economic struggles -- even if it carried them for just a few
months.


3. (C) Chikowore also said that she had met with Labor
Minister Nicolas Goche just before coming to see us on
October 3. He told her that the strike had been discussed at
the October 2 cabinet meeting and all ministers agreed that
teachers and other civil servants were woefully underpaid,
and something needed to be done. However, he warned
Chikowore that after the strike was settled ZIMTA leadership
should be careful not to abuse the considerable influence it
wields over teachers by calling for any more
"politically-motivated" actions, including influencing
teachers to vote against the ruling party in coming elections.


4. (C) Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)
Secretary General Raymond Majongwe told us on October 4 that

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he was disappointed in ZIMTA, which is commonly seen as the
more "government-friendly" of the two unions, for calling off
the strike so quickly. He said the government's latest offer
was far below the Z$18 million PTUZ was demanding as well as
the Z$16.8 million ZIMTA was seeking. Additionally, Majongwe
felt it was not ZIMTA's strike to call off. PTUZ had started
the labor action on September 11 with a "go-slow" before
escalating to a full "strike" on September 26. Majongwe
added that he was currently consulting PTUZ's 17,000 members
before deciding whether to tell teachers to return to work.
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Comment -- Nothing Left to Chance
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5. (C) The widespread participation in the strike, and fear

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it could embolden other civil servants, clearly made the
government nervous. After weeks of stalling in negotiations,
the government quickly came up with a larger offer once ZIMTA
piggy-backed on the PTUZ strike. Goche's stern and direct
warning to the ZIMTA leadership, normally supportive of the
government, shows that the ruling party is not willing to
leave anything to chance for 2008 elections. End Comment.
DHANANI