The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has launched a nationwide campaign dubbed “Operation Dhigniti,” demanding a living wage for teachers and introducing a two-day work week protest strategy in response to worsening economic conditions facing educators across Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the official launch of the Teachers’ Basket of Needs Survey Report on Tuesday, ARTUZ President, Obert Masaure accused the government of subjecting teachers to “state-supported poverty” and declared that educators would intensify labour resistance until their demands are met.
The union said the survey revealed that teachers’ salaries remain far below the Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL), which ARTUZ says currently stands at USD1,260 per month.
According to the report, 63 percent of teachers rely solely on their salaries despite rising inflation and unstable pricing systems, while many are being forced into side jobs to survive.
The survey also found that 17.95 percent of teachers have turned to farming as a survival strategy, while 14.10 percent depend on extra lessons for additional income. Another 12.82 percent rely on poultry production, and 11.54 percent are reportedly involved in informal and risky work, including artisanal mining.
ARTUZ said the findings expose what it described as a “triple burden” faced by teachers balancing formal teaching duties, survival activities, and domestic responsibilities under deteriorating economic conditions.
The Union calls for a salary increment that would raise their monthly earnings to at least US$1,200.
Currently, educators receive no more than US$350 per month, significantly below the food poverty line (FPL) of over US$500, compounded by a weakening local currency and a deteriorating economy.
