Lecturers at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) have said they will not be reporting for duty citing incapacitation following the removal of transport allowances.
The lecturers cited incapacitation in their letter to NUST Vice Chancellor after their transport allowances were removed on Thursday.
In a letter seen by NewZimbabwe, NUST Educators’ Association (NUSTEDA) president Mlamuli Dlamini, said:
This letter serves to inform your office of the resolution by the NUSTEDA constituency in a general meeting held on campus this morning (9 March 2023).
All NUSTEDA members are incapacitated to report for duty with immediate effect.
The NUSTEDA membership highlighted that this incapacitation results from the unilateral removal of the transport allowance by the NUST management and the depreciation of the buying power of the salary.
Civil servants in Zimbabwe, such as teachers, doctors, and nurses, have gone on strike many times in recent years to demand better pay and working conditions.
The strikes have caused disruptions in public services.
The government has responded by threatening to fire striking workers and hiring temporary staff, but the strikes continue because the underlying issues of low pay and poor working conditions remain unresolved.
These strikes reflect the economic and political challenges in Zimbabwe, including high inflation, low economic growth, and government corruption.
Recently, workers rejected the pay hike offer the government made at the National Joint Negotiation Council (NJNC) meeting that was held in Harare in the first week of March.
The civil servants’ demand through ZCPSTU was US$840 salaries, an increase on the US$540 that they have long been clamouring for.