Strike is on, teachers maintain

Dar es Salaam. Public school teachers yesterday vowed to go ahead with their countrywide strike plan tomorrow despite government’s warning that the industrial action would be illegal.

Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) president Gratian Mukoba told reporters yesterday that the planned strike had received legal clearance, calling on members to ignore the warning.

TTU announced the strike on Friday after its members unanimously voted for the industrial action, while on the other hand the government insisted that it was illegal and would have disastrous and irreparable effects.

Acting chief secretary Peniel Lyimo issued a statement on Friday night warning that the strike was illegal, asking teachers to ignore TTU call to strike.

He said the teachers did not have grounds on which to stage the strike given the fact that the matter at the heart of the dispute -- pay rise -- was still pending at the Labour division of the High Court. But yesterday Mr Mukoba said the strike would go no as planned as it had the support of labour laws. “We have observed all the necessary legal procedures set before a workers’ body could announce a strike. What the Government is doing is to incite fear and intimidate teachers,” he said.

He called on all public school teachers across the country to go on strike without fear, noting that the union was prepared to make their jobs secure.

“For we have gone through all legal requirements for declaring a strike, we urge our members not to be worried of losing jobs… we are well prepared to stand for them,” said Mr Mukoba.

According to TTU president, the strike would not interfere with the August 26 scheduled national census, which is anticipated to hire hundreds of teachers.

On Friday, some 153,000 out of 183,000 teachers voted for the planned strike.

The voting started on Wednesday and ended on Friday with TTU national council holding an emergency meeting, which blessed the strike.

The governing council then issued a 48-hour ultimatum beginning on Friday at 2pm and will end today at 2pm.

The teachers want, among other things, a 100 per cent pay rise; a 55 per cent rise in allowances for science teachers and 50 per cent for other teachers. Those who work in a difficult environment want a 30 per cent rise in hardship allowances.

Mr Mukoba claimed that the Union was never consulted over the 14 per cent offer, he added, and they would not recognise the move as partial fulfillment of their demands.

“The increase is not enough to meet our basic needs,” said Mr Mukoba as he appealed to students and parents who will bear the brunt of the strike to consider the other side of the coin