Tertiary lecturers strike, uncertainty over student grants

Lecturers at 28 public tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe have gone on strike demanding salary increases. And the new student grant system, which was supposed to be funded from diamond sales, is on shaky ground after America slapped sanctions on local prospecting companies.

On Monday non-university lecturers joined nationwide industrial action by state employees. On Wednesday the cash-strapped government met with public sector unions in a bid to end the strike, but the talks collapsed after the authorities announced that they were prepared to award only a US$7 a month salary hike. This is way below what workers are demanding.

University lecturers are not on strike as they are far better remunerated. But those at all 28 polytechnics, teacher colleges and vocational training centres downed tools, demanding a salary increase consistent with the poverty line, which is currently pegged at about US$538 as opposed to the slightly over US$200 a month the lowest-paid lecturers receive.

The strike has been heavily politicised in a nation run by a unity government led by bitter rivals, ZANU-PF’s Robert Mugabe as president and Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as prime minister.

When the coalition was set up, Mugabe demanded mostly security portfolios while Tsvangirai was handed economic portfolios such as the ministries of finance and of economic development.

Last week, Tsvangirai’s party issued a statement saying that Mugabe was fuelling the labour unrest in a bid to discredit the MDC, which is also in charge of the ministries of labour and the public service, ahead of general elections due to be held this year or in 2013.

“Our grievances are genuine but it’s unfortunate that the issue has been politicised,” David Dzatsunga, president of the College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe (Colaz), told University World News.

“There has been a lot of mudslinging and its now creating the misconception that we have two governments. There are some who think that the MDC is the one that is refusing to pay us and others are saying ZANU-PF sponsored the industrial action.”

“All the parties in the government of national unity are insensitive to our plight. For the past two years nothing has come out.”

Meanwhile, student grants that were announced in the country’s 2012 budget on the premise that they would be funded from the proceeds of diamond sales, hang in the balance after the Unites States imposed sanctions on diamond mining companies in Zimbabwe.

Since 2003 the US, United Kingdom, European Union and other Western countries have blacklisted Mugabe and his inner circle on the grounds of an appalling human rights record. They have also targeted state entities deemed pivotal to prolonging the life of Mugabe’s regime.

However, Finance Minister Tendai Biti of the MDC has since written to Charles Collyns, the US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, complaining of the decision in December to target diamond mining companies.

“I want to place it on record that we as the Ministry of Finance, writing on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe, find your measures contrary to the spirit of engagement and harmful to the generality of Zimbabweans,” said Biti in the letter dated 19 December. The letter is in possession of University World News.