Mogwera who says her union has already lost over 100 members to covid19 complications, told Mmegi online that the non teaching staff remain at high risk of death as they continue to interact with students.
Mogwera says her union and Manual workers Union pursued the issues since the two liberal Unions have members in all schools and educational institutions, and they are equally vulnerable to Covid 19, adding that the numbers indicate that their members also perish from covid19.
“BOPEU made a passionate plea to the Minister that any effort to vaccinate teachers should be inclusive of the non-teaching staff, because they work under the same school environment”, Mogwera said.
The BOPEU leader said her Union was displeased “about colloquial structure of teachers Unions & ministry, debilitating those representing the non-teaching staff; as BOPEU, we are dispirited in dealing with Covid 19 in selective approach”.
Mogwera said their members in schools and other learning institutions include, Cooks, Kitchen hands, Gatekeepers, Night watchmen and Safety Health and Environment Officer (SHE) and are at high-risk, as first contacts for students and the teaching staff.
BOPEU says they are also concerned by poor hygiene standards in schools and institutions of learning where sanitisers and soaps are either in short supply or not supplied at all, something Mogwera says continues to pose a risk to Union members in schools & institutions.
Mogwera says their observation is that water supply in some schools, especially rural areas is a nightmare, and defeat the fight against Covid 19 and that a lasting solution should be devised ahead of resumption of classes.
