By Talent Gondo|The Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Union (ZRTU) says it will not join the planned industrial action which has been declared by other teachers union bodies when schools open next week saying that the body’s membership have resolved to give dialogue and negotiations with their employer a chance.

Vice President of the ZRTU, Gibson Muhlangu said rural teachers will report for duty when schools open on May 9 pending the organisation’s meeting with government slated for May 11 2018.

“Rural teachers will report for duty when schools open and we are not going to join the industrial strike,” said Muhlangu.

He said the outcome of the May 11 meeting would however determine whether rural teachers will join the strike or not.

“Teachers have gone for half a decade without a salary increase and it is a known fact that inflation has eroded the current salaries that they are getting,” he said.

Muhlangu however said one of the reasons why rural teachers were not joining the planned industrial action was to give dialogue a chance following the April 20 meeting with their employer whose outcome will be communicated two days after schools open.

“We are meeting the employer on May 11 and this is only two days after schools open.

“We are therefore reporting for duty because our course of action will be determined by what is going to be communicated to us when we meet government at our scheduled meeting,” he said.

Muhlangu said rural teachers were unhappy with their salaries, rural allowances and the issue of leave days hence they had tabled their demands to government last month.

“We will give government the benefit of doubt thereafter we will map the way forward and know whether we will down our tools or not.

“Whatever they tell us will be the point of departure for our actions,” he said.

The statement by the body which represents some of the rural teachers comes amid declarations by most of the teachers’ union bodies including the Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union (FOZEU), the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Zimbabwe Teachers’ Union (ZIMTA), Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTU), Zimbabwe National Teachers’ Union (ZINATU), Zimbabwe Democratic Teachers Union (ZDTU) and Professional Educators’ Union of Zimbabwe (PEUZ) indicating that teachers will embark on a nationwide strike when schools open next week.