Teachers Union Demands Return Of Physical Pay Slips From Government, Says Digital Is Broken

Zimbabwe Teachers Raise Alarm Over Digital Payslip Policy

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has demanded the immediate reinstatement of physical pay advice slips, accusing the government of hiding behind a “broken” digital system that it says is failing teachers across the country.

In a statement posted on 18 February 2026 on Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said it had formally written to the Paymaster over what it described as a “calculated barrier to transparency”.

Introducing the statement, ARTUZ said:

“The ARTUZ National Executive wishes to inform all members and civil servants at large that we have officially submitted a formal demand to the Paymaster regarding the government’s failure to provide physical pay advice slips.”

The union added:

“The current digital-only policy is not a step toward modernization; it is a calculated barrier to transparency.”

Formal Letter Submitted To Salaries Services Bureau

In a letter dated 13 February 2026 and addressed to the Chairperson of the Salaries Services Bureau, ARTUZ Secretary General Robson Chere expressed what he called “disappointment and negative effects of the non-availability of pay advice slips”.

The letter, stamped as received on 16 February 2026, stated:

“Most of our teachers have limited to almost non-available access to the internet due to limited technological infrastructure in their respective marginalised areas as well as high data costs.”

The union said the situation had led to teachers discovering “fraudulent deduction of their income a long time after it has occurred”.

It further stated:

“This has resulted in teachers realising fraudulent deduction of their income a long time after it has occurred, and failure to access lines of credit and other social services requiring proof of employment and income.”

‘Broken Portal’ And High Data Costs

In its 18 February 2026 statement, ARTUZ described the online salary portal as “chronically offline”.

It said:

“Forcing teachers to rely on a non-functional website is a denial of their right to information.”

The union argued that many educators stationed in rural areas do not have reliable internet access and face high mobile data costs. According to ARTUZ, this makes accessing digital payslips financially burdensome for “underpaid educators”.

It also alleged that printed payslips are essential to track what it called “predatory and fraudulent deductions”.

ARTUZ went further, stating:

“We maintain that the government is hiding behind ‘paperless’ systems to avoid the public shame of printing poverty-level wages—the ‘peanuts’ that currently pass for a civil servant’s salary.”

The union said it has given the Paymaster “a clear window to respond and rectify this administrative injustice”.

ARTUZ urged members to remain vigilant and document any unexplained deductions from their bank accounts.

As of 18 February 2026, there was no immediate public response from the Salaries Services Bureau.