Zimbabwe: UZ Lecturers' Job Action Reaches Day 56, State Universities to Join

ALL state universities across Zimbabwe are set to join the ongoing University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers' industrial action if salary demands are not met.

The indefinite strike by UZ academic staff, which began on April 16, reached its 56th day on Monday.

The striking lecturers held their fifth demonstration on campus, vowing to continue the industrial action until their grievances are addressed.

UZ lecturers are demanding a return to their pre-2018 salaries, when a junior lecturer earned US$2,250 per month. Currently, they earn approximately US$230.

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com during the protest, Association of University Teachers (AUT) spokesperson Obvious Vengeyi said state university representatives will meet where their employer will make an offer for them which will inform the next steps.

Vengeyi reiterated that lecturers would not return to work until the US$2,250 salary demand is met.

"We are meeting on Tuesday for a process of conciliation. It is ongoing, but it has dragged on for too long.

"The unions are in agreement that it is better to declare a deadlock so that we can obtain a certificate of no settlement across all universities.

"The unions are in agreement that it is better we declare no settlement so that we get a certificate of no settlement across all universities, which means it is most likely that by next week all the state universities would have joined the University of Zimbabwe on the industrial collective job action," Vengeyi said.

UZ legal advisor and senior labour law lecturer Munyaradzi Gwisai, who also addressed the demonstrators, expressed solidarity with the striking lecturers and urged them to stay the course.

"We have sustained the struggle this far, to a point where all other state universities are joining your battalions of resistance. This is not the time to retreat.

"We will be part of the discussions tomorrow, but whatever is offered, we remain resolute," Gwisai said.

Meanwhile, UZ has extended the semester by two weeks.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.