LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Teachers have tabled fresh salary demands to the government saying the recent increment was well below their expectations, Business Times can report.
Last month, the government awarded civil servants including teachers a 50% salary increment, meaning the educators are now earning about ZWL$30 000 on average.
But, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general, Raymond Majongwe told Business Times that their salaries should be equal to what the security services sector was earning, which is believed to be around ZWL$40 000 per month.
Another option, Majongwe said, is that their salary should match the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe’s basket which is above ZWL$41 000.
“We have not given up on our initial position of wanting pre-October salaries of US$520 per month but in the meantime we want to match our counterparts or the consumer basket so that we can have a basic living,” Majongwe said.
He said currently, teachers are in talks with the government on the reopening of schools modalities.
The planned reopening of school modalities are being worked out at a time when the consumer council basket went up 3% in July from June.
The cost of living as measured by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe’s low income urban earner monthly basket for a family of six to ZWL$41 406.82 by end of July 2021 from ZWL$40 237.92 showing an increase of ZWL$1168.90 or 2.9%.
The food basket increased by ZWL$499.60 or 3.16% to ZWL$16 327.14 by end of July 2021 from ZWL$15 827.54 by end of June 2021
The price of detergents increased by ZWL$9.30 or 0.82% from ZWL$1121.38 to ZWL$1130.68.
“As CCZ, the increase in the total figure of the basket is attributed to the price increases shown above especially on the basic food items, due to inflation; influence of the exchange rate, speculation by consumers(fuelling demand) and in exceptional cases the parallel market,” CCZ said.
CCZ said the further tightening of the lockdown regulations has resulted in a decreased movement of consumers and suppliers causing food insecurities through food supply chain distortions, loss of revenue and purchasing power and increase in food prices.
The market is slowly adjusting to the displaying of prices in both USD and RTGS as provided for by the Statutory Instrument185.
CCZ observed that most of the big supermarkets are complying with the Statutory Instrument 185 therefore, the council encourages consumers when they are buying in US$ to be knowledgeable of the prevailing weekly auction exchange rate to avoid being overcharged.
The CCZ continues to encourage consumers to shop conscientiously and to always buy certified products.
It said where the products are not certified, consumers exercise their right to information by carefully examining if the products they are purchasing are well labelled, packaged and provided with vital information which includes manufacturing expiry dates and ingredients used in the make-up of the products.
