Staff Reporter

Government has moved to rein-in all striking teachers by announcing yesterday that it will cease paying salaries to teachers who are not attending lessons.

 In a post Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had already submitted names of those that absconded lessons last month.

“Government reiterates that it will strictly apply the no work no pay labour principles to all cases of teacher absenteeism and the responsible Ministry has compiled and submitted a list of teachers that did not conduct lessons in March to the Public Service Commission. The April list is being compiled,” said the Minister.

The Government and its employees have been locked in salary negotiations since the beginning of the year with workers insisting on Poverty Datum Line-based salaries, but the employer, citing limited capacity, promised to stagger the salary increments.

Despite the promise to increase teachers’ salaries by a massive 75 percent, some teachers, taking instructions from rogue teachers unions, have disregarded this undertaking and embarked on a go slow, while others have stopped reporting for duty altogether.

Meanwhile, Minister Mutsvangwa said Government had reinforced COVID-19 surveillance system following reported outbreaks in schools.

“Cabinet was informed that investigations in Pumula, Bulawayo revealed that only two schools were affected (by COVID-19) and the rest were operating normally.

“As part of efforts to prevent a third wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, engagement of stakeholders and partners is being intensified with a view to pooling both human and financial resources for more effective responses,” said the Minister.

As of yesterday the country had 38 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 35 480 recoveries and 1 564 deaths. A total of 370 676 people have received their COVID-19 jabs.