Zimbabwe's teachers have asked a United Nations labor group to help solve their pay fight with the government. The educators reached out to the International Labour Organisation after President Mnangagwa's administration ignored their complaints about low wages and bad working conditions. Teachers want their monthly salary raised from the current $250 to at least $540 like they earned before 2018. The government claims it cannot afford such increases because of tight budgets and limited money coming in. Officials say they must spend carefully to avoid creating massive debt problems.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union wrote to ILO officials on June 11 explaining their frustration with the slow response from authorities. Union leader Obert Masaraure complained that months passed without any real progress on fixing teacher concerns. The only contact came through an informal phone call asking teachers to suggest two mediators for talks. Even after teachers provided names back in March, nothing happened and no updates came from government representatives.
Classrooms across Zimbabwe are overcrowded with one teacher handling 45 students instead of the recommended 30 per class. Some schools have ratios reaching 60 kids per educator because the government stopped hiring new teachers. About 15,000 teachers quit their jobs each year according to union numbers. Many leave because they feel overworked and underpaid for the demanding job of educating children in difficult conditions.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union wrote to ILO officials on June 11 explaining their frustration with the slow response from authorities. Union leader Obert Masaraure complained that months passed without any real progress on fixing teacher concerns. The only contact came through an informal phone call asking teachers to suggest two mediators for talks. Even after teachers provided names back in March, nothing happened and no updates came from government representatives.
Classrooms across Zimbabwe are overcrowded with one teacher handling 45 students instead of the recommended 30 per class. Some schools have ratios reaching 60 kids per educator because the government stopped hiring new teachers. About 15,000 teachers quit their jobs each year according to union numbers. Many leave because they feel overworked and underpaid for the demanding job of educating children in difficult conditions.
