Mozambique: Teachers in Tete on strike over unpaid wages

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Mozambique: Teachers in Tete on strike over unpaid wages

4:54 CAT | 11 Dec 2017

DW / Secondary school in Tete

Teachers in various parts of the Tete education system have been on strike for about two weeks over unpaid salaries and overtime for the years 2016 and 2017, saying that they will not hand in report cards until they receive their salaries.

The Provincial Directorate of Education and Human Development in the region confirm that money is owed, but appealing for more calm.

Teachers in Tete secondary school told DW Africa that all possible approaches to the competent authorities to secure the payment of the salaries and allowances in arrears had been attempted, but negotiations were exhausted without reaching a satisfactory result.

Speaking anonymously, a teacher from Tete Secondary School said that he would not hand in completed report cards in protest over the missing money.

Asked about the response of the Provincial Directorate of Education and Human Development, the teacher said: “They just say that we have to wait, that they are solving the matter and that soon the money will be paid. But the day of payment never comes.”

Another teacher, also speaking anonymously, laid the blame squarely on the Provincial Directorate.

“There is money to pay teachers, but it seems that at the level of the Provincial Directorate [Education and Human Development], they do not want to pay us. But we will demand that we receive the money, by all means,” the teacher said.

Dispute spreads to the universities

The teachers’ strike in Tete is also affecting higher education, with teachers at Zambezi University (UniZambeze) on strike since 27 November. They at first refused to invigilate exams for students, and only relented after negotiations with university management.

Mosambik Universität in Tete — Zambezi University Faculty of Health

A UniZambeze professor, who also requested anonymity, complains of salaries in arrears. “I have not been able to pay the rent for five months now,” he said, “and I do not know what my salary is. I have debts in the stores where I buy food and I have no way of paying them. I moved twice because I could not pay the rent. We agreed among all teachers not to hand in students reports, and management has promised to pay by the end of January, but I’m not sure they will. They always say they’ll pay and then never do.”

A student on a post-graduate course at Unizambeze in Tete province told DW Africa that she did not sit exams two days last week because the teachers were on strike. They eventually suspended their action to invigilate the examinations, but then went back on strike.

“We did not know what to do. We went to the front desk on November 29 for an explanation and were promised that everything was already settled, but this week we were surprised when the teachers refused to release the results, claiming that they had not yet received their salaries. We are asking for help because we are paid monthly,” the student said.

Authorities promise to pay

The provincial teachers’ union has already met the Provincial Directorate of Education and Human Development of Tete in order to break the deadlock, but this has not resulted in any agreement.

Kinder Mosambik — Students continue despite lack of reports in Tete

The provincial deputy director of Education and Human Development in Tete, João Barroso, told the press that teachers should have more patience, because the matter was being addressed by the competent authorities with the aim of paying all the debts in the sector.

“We have already sat down and made it clear that the issue of salaries and overtime is being resolved as quickly as possible, so we would like them to hand over the students’ report cards to facilitate the clearance of each student’s notes. The debts will be paid,” Barroso promises.

Source: Deutsche Welle