ARTUZ Launches #MyFairWage Campaign, Demanding USD$1,260 Monthly Wage For Teachers

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), on Monday, 13 May, launched a week-long campaign dubbed #MyFairWage which seeks to justify teachers’ demand for US$1 260 salaries.

In a statement, ARTUZ said this week (13-19 May), the highlight of the campaign is their demand for US$180 or health care insurance as part of the basket of US$1 260 monthly income. Reads the statement:

Healthcare should not be a luxury reserved for the privileged few. When illness strikes, the financial burden should not suffocate teachers, nor should educators be held hostage by exorbitant charges for subpar services. Hospital stays should not resemble expensive lodges, bleeding their pockets dry.

The union has seen firsthand the insidious nature of medical aid, with shortfalls so astronomical that they render it useless.

Members have languished for months, unable to obtain basic necessities like spectacles and hypertension medication as their own health scheme fails the teachers.

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Sadly, teachers have been pushed to private facilities, only to encounter broken machines, insufficient supplies, and shortfalls that demand exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses.

ARTUZ said teachers have been let down by the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) saying the company, which is the major service provider for teachers and other civil servants, is now “a dysfunctional mess”. It said:

The union will not back down until healthcare becomes a birthright and until every member is treated with the dignity they deserve.

In recent years, PSMAS has been grappling with financial difficulties, which have significantly impacted its service delivery.

The company is burdened by substantial debt, exacerbated by economic challenges and delayed payments from the government.

PSMAS members have faced difficulties accessing healthcare services due to shortfalls-related issues and some health facilities reject PSMAS cards, leaving subscribers stranded.

At one point, Premier Services Medical Investments (PSMI), a subsidiary of PSMAS, had to shut down over 50 facilities due to financial constraints.

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