University Zimbabwe lecturers arrested over salary protest

Three University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers were arrested by police on Wednesday after staging a protest over poor remuneration at the university's campus in Harare.

The lecturers, who are part of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), were picketing as part of a broader strike launched in the morning to press for better salaries and improved working conditions. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) moved in during the demonstration and arrested the union leaders.

AUT president Philemon Chamburuka confirmed the arrests in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, expressing outrage at the treatment of the lecturers.

"The status quo is that the strike is ongoing. As of now, we are encouraging our members not to report for duty. We are not intimidated. We are infuriated by the arrests of our colleagues," Chamburuka said.

Lecturers at UZ currently earn a monthly wage of approximately US$250 and ZiG 6,000, an amount the AUT says has lost significant purchasing power due to the country's worsening economic conditions. The union is demanding a minimum monthly salary of US$2,500, arguing that the figure is consistent with academic remuneration in neighboring countries.

According to the AUT, university staff are also burdened with the cost of supplying their own teaching tools, such as laptops, smartphones, and internet data, which has further strained their limited incomes.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the UZ administration and copied to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, the AUT accused the government and university authorities of failing to engage in meaningful dialogue over the past 18 months.

"Despite prolonged engagement over 18 months, the employer and the minister have failed to meet AUT's demands or make any reasonable alternative offer, resulting in the issuance of a Certificate of No Settlement," the letter reads.

"The dispute remains unresolved, and lecturers and their families are languishing in extreme poverty... The employer harshly and unfairly expects employees to subsidise it by providing personal property as tools of work."

The union cited Sections 104(2) of the Labour Act and 65(3) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe in justifying the collective job action, which they said is being exercised in pursuit of economic justice and dignity.

As the strike continues, the university has yet to issue an official response to the arrests or the demands outlined by AUT. The development is the latest in a string of labour disputes in Zimbabwe's public education sector, where inflation, currency volatility, and underfunding have left professionals struggling to make ends meet.

The AUT has vowed to maintain the strike until their demands are met, despite what it calls intimidation tactics by authorities.