Teachers at Zimbabwe’s public schools on Tuesday called off a two-month-long strike after their unions accepted the government’s offer of a 41-percent salary increment.
The country’s largest educators’ representative body, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), said in a statement that it has agreed to the government’s offer of November 13 under which the lowest paid teacher would be receive Z$19,975 (US$245).
“Now, therefore we advise our members to start returning to stations as required,” ZIMTA secretary general Tapson Sibanda said.
The agreement effectively ends a strike that started in September when schools reopened for end-of-year examinations.
The teachers have been demanding a minimum of US$480, which was the entry level salary for the educators before the government switched from using the US dollar as its main currency to using the local currency.
The purchasing power of their salaries has been eroded by inflation over the past two years, triggered an impasse over salaries for public servants.
JN/APA