The PSC declared the strike illegal on Friday, saying that the full negotiating and arbitration process had yet to be followed, a requirement before a strike becomes legal in either the public or private sectors.
The strike call by three associations or unions has been patchily followed. The PSC said that with the strike now ruled illegal those continuing to stay away could face disciplinary action as individuals.
But while the general membership is divided over the strike, the leadership of the three unions was still bellicose yesterday. Zimbabwe Teachers Association president Mrs Tendai Chikowore yesterday said the strike would continue adding that Government had not communicated with the unions officially since the strike started.
“We just read in the papers what Government is doing about the strike. There has been no proper communication from them and if they want to engage us they know where to find us.
“We are not going back because we no that no one is going to sanction a strike on this earth. We are driven by the wishes of the people we represent who are saying enough is enough,” said Mrs Chikowore.
Unionists yesterday ruled out an immediate return to work saying they would continue trying to drum up support for the strike with another rally slated for Chinhoyi today. The Public Service Commission (PSC) on Friday declared the strike by state employees illegal and ordered all striking workers to report for duty or face the legal consequences.
PSC chairman Dr Mariyawanda Nzuwah said the process of negotiations was not yet over and civil servants should follow the dictates of the Public Service Act before declaring an industrial action.
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawo said intimidatory tactics by Government would not stop them from achieving their goals.
He said civil servants were not going to be cowered into submission by the Government as their struggle was for “bread and butter issues”.
“No amount of force, threats and victimisation will divert us from the unity of purpose as civil servants. We will never be cowered into submission by fat cats in Government who have amassed wealth through hook and crook methods.
“Its too late for Government to threaten us because the fire has been ignited everywhere and we will remain united as victory is certain,” he said.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary general Mr Raymond Majongwe echoed the same sentiments saying civil servants would not retreat until Government accedes to their demands.
“We have invested a lot of resources and energy in the strike and we are not going to stop until we achieve our aim because our concerns are valid.
“It is high time for Government to go to the basics and grapple with the real challenges,’ he said. Public Service Association President Mrs Cecilia Alexander added, “ Our motto is forward ever and we gave dialogue justice it deserved and they failed to offer us what we wanted.
“They have the economic power and we have the manpower and we have to complement each other but now that they have refused with the money we are refusing with our labour. We are not going to be intimidated by them (Government) until they offer us something reasonable.”
The union leaders argued that it was “obvious” Government would not legalise any strike action and warned “senior” Government officials to stop intimidating workers.
Some school headmasters and other senior Government were reportedly threatening to fire or transfer employees involved in the nationwide strike.
Section 16:0 of the Public Service Act and the Public Service Regulations (2000) spell out the processes of negotiations and declaring any deadlocks of industrial action.
Negotiators first engage each other and if no solution is found, they call in an independent arbitrator.
If the arbitrator fails to break the impasse, the workers should then give a strike notice – something that never happened in this case.
