Teachers urged to unite, fight for their rights

Tanzania Teachers Union acting secretary-general, Ezekiah Oluoch

Teachers in the country have been called upon to unite and work together in fighting for their rights which have been violated for years now.

A member of the Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU), Sthephen Mazuguni made the call over the week end during a meeting for teachers’ fund dubbed, ‘Faraja’ in Bahi District, Dodoma Region. The fund is meant to help each other.

According Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU), the contribution of teachers is always overlooked.

Mazuguni said the contribution of teachers has always been overlooked hence teachers have all the reasons to unite to ensure that that their basic rights that have been sidelined by some government authorities are respected just like any other civil servants'.

He said TTU will continue being in the forefront in persuading the government to ensure that, teachers’ rights are respected.

“In the time being there is this issue of pensions where by the draft is already prepared. This formula of calculating the pension if applied will to a larger extent reduces the amount received by teachers. Let’s unite and fight against this move,” said Mazuguni.

He warned that in case the formula goes to the parliament and approved then it will highly affect the teachers after retiring.

“Our current salaries are peanuts and insufficient to cater for our needs… and worse enough they want to make us suffer even more once we retire,” he said.

On October 05, 2014, the government said it was investigating corruption in payments of teachers as claims of arrears of their salaries were rampant.

Speaking in Bukoba District, Kagera Region during celebrations to mark the International Day for Teachers on October 5, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said last year the government received teachers’ claims amounting to 19.6bn/- in outstanding payments.

Pinda who represented President Jakaya Kikwete at the event said, in July this year, the government paid 5.7bn/- in outstanding payments to teachers under the ministry of Local Governments and Regional Administration.

He said another 286.9m/- was paid to teachers and tutors under the ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

However, Pinda said later on, the government discovered that 10.5bn/- were not genuine claims. He explained that 9bn/- was already included in the claims for teachers under local government and 1.5bn/ in the claims of teachers under the ministry of education and vocational training.

“All those who processed these fake claims will be sued and brought to justice,” he said, adding: “the teachers know how much the government owes them but a few unscrupulous people have taken advantage of the situation.”

Nonetheless, the Premier admitted that teachers’ salaries are still meagre but he said the government is doing everything possible to improve their remunerations as the economy improves.

He said teachers make up 50 percent of civil servants and that the government cannot afford to ignore such huge and vital labour power.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN