The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) is a national teachers’ organisation that represents the voice of rural and urban educators across Zimbabwe. Founded in 2009, ARTUZ unites thousands of teachers who are committed to defending their rights, improving working conditions, and ensuring every child in Zimbabwe has access to free, quality, and inclusive education.
Champion free, compulsory, and publicly funded education for every learner, regardless of background.
USD $1,260 for teachers, ensuring dignity and motivation.
Defend the rights of teachers to organise, bargain collectively, and strike.
Advocate for fair and equal treatment of rural schools to close the rural-urban divide.
Demand equity and gender balance in the public service.
Uphold democracy, labour justice, and human rights as core principles in the education sector.
Advocates for policy reform to strengthen collective bargaining and teacher rights.
Mobilises teachers to fight for a living wage and improved working conditions.
Campaigns for the Education Equalisation Fund to bridge the gap between rural and urban schools.
Supports teachers facing persecution with legal defence and solidarity actions.
Conducts research and publications to expose the crisis in education and propose solutions.
Amplifies teacher voices
Teachers continue to earn poverty wages.
Schools remain underfunded and neglected.
Learners are being denied their constitutional right to education.
The Public Service Act continues to restrict teachers’ labour rights.
The roots of ARTUZ date back to 2009, when rural teachers resolved to form their own autonomous union in response to government policies that favoured urban teachers through an incentive scheme.
In 2013, the union was officially launched in Harare as the Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ). Despite state attempts to create confusion by sponsoring a rival body, the union grew steadily.
In 2016, RTUZ rebranded as the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) to reflect its expanding membership and national character. Today, ARTUZ is recognised as a leading voice in the fight for labour justice and education rights in Zimbabwe.
