Zimbabwean teachers have put their tool as they start a nationwide strike asking for better salaries from the government.
The Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU) has officially notified the government of an impending indefinite strike action commencing Tuesday, May 26, 2025. The labour action comes after failed negotiations to address educators’ longstanding grievances regarding inadequate compensation and substandard working conditions.
Union Demands Living Wage for Educators
FOZEU, representing multiple teacher organisations including the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) and the Zimbabwe Visually Impaired Teachers Union, demands a substantial salary adjustment to $1,250 USD monthly. This figure represents a five-fold increase over educators’ current average earnings of $250 USD plus ZIG 3,000 in local currency.
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In a strongly worded communiqué to Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo, FOZEU Secretary-General Obert Masaraure stated, “This industrial action seeks immediate salary revisions to enable teaching professionals to meet basic living expenses and maintain professional dignity.”
Government Dismisses Union Concerns
Education Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro dismissed the strike announcement as “the theatrics of a fringe group” lacking legitimate representation. “These are not labor movements but attention-seeking activists using outdated tactics,” Ndoro countered. “In our progressive era, strikes represent obsolete approaches to problem-solving.”
The government position contrasts sharply with educators’ realities, as many report struggling to afford transportation to workplaces or meet basic household expenses. FOZEU maintains that the current compensation structure fails to account for Zimbabwe’s escalating cost of living.
Sector-Wide Labor Unrest Emerges
The education sector turmoil mirrors broader civil service discontent. Health workers are reportedly mobilizing similar protests over inadequate salaries and medical supply shortages, while university faculty continue their own strike action initiated weeks earlier.
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Last week’s National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meetings concluded without resolution, deepening the impasse between public sector workers and government negotiators. Some educator factions have petitioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa for direct intervention, seeking restoration of pre-2018 salary levels at $540 USD monthly as an interim measure.
Community Support for Educators Grows
FOZEU has announced plans for workplace picketing supported by local communities. “Parents and stakeholders recognize that quality education requires properly compensated educators,” Masaraure noted. The union vows to pursue all legal avenues to protect members’ labor rights as the standoff continues.
With classrooms potentially emptying next week, this developing situation threatens to disrupt Zimbabwe’s entire education system unless urgent mediation produces meaningful concessions from government negotiators.
