Centre News Hub
Harare- The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has meticulously reviewed the Public Service Commission (PSC) Job Evaluation Project Report as a direct attack on the teaching profession, despite government claims that it was a modernization exercise.
ARTUZ said they view the exercise as a calculated attempt to dismantle the career security of educators and unilaterally alter conditions of service without the constitutional requirement of collective bargaining.
“The review is an assault on teachers as it has negative impacts. ARTUZ condemns these recommendations which threaten the livelihood of our members like the abolishment of the “Through Grade” System which allowed teachers to progress from Senior to Principal levels based on experience and qualifications. Removing this system effectively kills career motivation, ensuring teachers remain stagnant regardless of their educational advancement or years of dedicated service” said ARTUZ.
The Union also condemned the unilateral downgrading of grades as the report proposes a transition where roles currently in higher bands such as Band D are reclassified into lower specialized bands Band C.
“We specifically condemn the move to relegate experienced educators from Grade D to Grade C, which strips them of their professional status and future earning potential. While the PSC claims incumbents will retain their current salaries under the Person to Holder principle, the job itself is permanently downgraded. This creates a tiered workforce where new entrants are condemned to lower pay scales for the same work, undermining solidarity and the long-term sustainability of the profession” added ARTUZ.
ARTUZ said it is also irked by mass redundancies as the report recommends making all posts vacant for more than three months redundant
“In a sector already crippled by a shortage of over 90,000 teachers, deleting these vacancies is a death knell for rural education and will result in unmanageable teacher-to-pupil ratios” reiterated ARTUZ.
The Union also highlighted some positives through minor technical improvements, provided they are implemented fairly.
The positives were cited as the creation of a uniform inventory of job titles and profiles which could, in theory, reduce administrative confusion and the recognition of specialists.
“We note the recommendation that technical specialist progressions should run parallel to administrative ones, potentially allowing some technical educators to reach Director levels without leaving their fields” said ARTUZ.
ARTUZ also proffered their own demands and recommendations to the PSC.
The PSC was ordered to halt unilateral implementation as the PSC is reminded that Section 65 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe mandates collective bargaining.
“Any changes to grading, “through grades,” or salary structures must be negotiated with unions at the bargaining table. We will not accept “sensitization” as a substitute for negotiation. PSC should restore the status of educators. We demand that teachers remain in Grade D (Tactical/Interpretive) to reflect the complex decision-making required in the classroom. Reclassifying teachers to Grade C (Specialized/Routine) is a professional insult” said ARTUZ.
PSC was also called upon to recognize post-graduate qualifications.
“We recommend that the PSC maintain a system where additional degrees (Masters/PHDs) result in automatic upward grading to incentivize a highly-skilled teaching force. PSC should fill vacancies and not delete them. Instead of making vacant posts redundant, the PSC must immediately recruit to fill the 24% vacancy gap identified in the report to relieve the burden on overstretched rural teachers” concluded ARTUZ.
The Union said it will not stand by while the PSC treats the teaching profession as a redundancy to be rationalized and called on all teachers to remain vigilant.
Efforts to get a comment from PSC were fruitless.
