By A Correspondent| The Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has rejected the deal agreed by the National Joint Negotiating Commission to award civil servants a $400 one-off payment cushioning allowance.

The union said that it will press ahead with its job action on 22 July. ARTUZ said in a statement:

ARTUZ flatly reject the deal agreed by NJNC The $400 cushioning allowance agreed for July falls far short of the monthly needs of the workers.

The claim that negotiations for a Conditions of Living adjustment are underway are not sincere but an attempt to buy time.

Starting from 22 July 2019, we are not working until we receive an interbank equivalent of our United States dollar salaries

We urge all teachers to peacefully withdraw their services on 22 July until our salaries are reviewed.

… The employer must know that we don’t want a cushion but a salary, we only need a salary equivalent to US$500 we used to earn.

Mthuli Ncube must give us answers on where they’re putting our US$440 they’re illegally deducting from our US$500 agreed salary.