As Zimbabwean teachers continue their courageous fight for better pay, improved working conditions, and dignity in the classroom, one truth remains constant: striking is not a crime. It’s a right.
Despite government threats, salary deductions, and intimidation tactics, the Constitution of Zimbabwe stands with educators. Under Section 65(3), every worker including teachers has the right to strike and withdraw their labour when faced with injustice. The Labour Act also outlines clear provisions that support collective job action, particularly when all other avenues of negotiation have been exhausted.
Yet time and again, our members are punished for demanding what is rightfully theirs.
Teachers are not listed under “essential services” in Zimbabwe’s labour laws, and rightly so. Our absence may inconvenience the system, but it does not paralyse the state. And even if we were essential, that does not take away our rights as workers to demand decent pay.
The courts have repeatedly ruled in favour of workers who were unfairly suspended or docked salaries for striking. But the government continues to act outside the law using fear, threats, and fabricated narratives to silence educators.
Instead of fixing what’s broken, poor salaries, overcrowded classrooms, lack of textbooks, unsafe school environments, the government has turned school heads and district education officers into agents of repression. Teachers are suspended without hearings, threatened with dismissal, and made to sign “disciplinary” forms that have no legal basis.
We ask: Why is there always money for luxuries, cars, corrupt deals, and tenders, but no money for the people educating the nation?
ARTUZ Secretary General Cde Robson Chere had this to say:
“We are our own liberators. No one is coming to save us. If we want a living wage, better working conditions, and respect from our employer (the government) we must use the tools at our disposal. Strike action is legal, necessary, and moral in the face of this injustice.”
His message is clear: teachers must not be cowed. Our strength lies in unity, in action, and in our refusal to normalise being underpaid and subsequent poverty.
The struggle is far from over. But our path is clear:
More organised strike action.
Strategic litigation against illegal suspensions and salary cuts.
Mobilising communities to understand and support the teacher’s cause.
Regional and international solidarity.
We urge all our members: stand strong, document abuse, and stay informed. Your union will continue to fight beside you in the courts, in the streets, and at the negotiation table.
This article is part of ARTUZ’s ongoing campaign to raise awareness on teachers’ rights, economic justice, and government accountability. Let’s continue to educate, organize, and liberate ourselves.