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afrol News, 15 October - The Zimbabwean Public Service Commission has dismissed 627 teachers who have been involved in a strike action for better pay since last week. Also, the leaders of the country's teachers' trade union have been arrested in connection with the strike. Raymond Majongwe, the Secretary-General of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) was arrested last week for allegedly threatening teachers into the strike. Today, two fellow leaders of the PTUZ, Innocent Moyo and Enock Paradzayi, were arrested on public order charges. Mr Majongwe allegedly sustained injuries from torture during his 48-hours in police custody, and appeared before a court with a torn shirt and injuries to one eye and an arm. The PTUZ leader has now been released on bail. According to the pro-Mugabe daily, 'The Herald', the strike had been declared illegal earlier this week and 627 striking members of the PTUZ therefore had been fired for not abiding by a deadline to be on duty by last Friday afternoon. The strike was declared illegal because teaching is considered an essential service. With a backdrop of 135 percent inflation, teachers are demanding a 100 percent salary increment backdated to January this year and another 100 percent cost of living adjustment backdated to June. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), representing 157 million workers in 148 countries, today forcefully protested the dismissal of the striking teachers and firmly condemned the arrest Mr Majongwe and his two colleagues. In a letter to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the Brussels-based labour group says that "the arrest of workers for exercising their legitimate right to strike is clearly in violation of internationally recognised workers' rights." The letter adds that the action of the Public Service Commission was "all the more uncalled for given that the Permanent Secretary of Education, Sports and Culture, Dr Thompson Tsodzo had assured the teachers that their case was being considered." The ICFTU, calling on the government to reinstate all dismissed workers, urged President Mugabe to enter into serious negotiations with the teachers' union to ensure a swift and peaceful end to this dispute. It also demanded the immediate release of Moyo and Enock Paradzayi, and the dropping of all charges against them and against Mr Majongwe.
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