Strike looms, temp teachers not paid

T he current situation in education has compromised effective teaching and learning with the result of poor learners’ performance at the end of the year,” South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) Provincial Secretary Matome Rapasha said during an interview with Polokwane Observer on Tuesday.
Raphasha said members of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in Limpopo have undertaken to start picketing at the offices of the Department of Education as well as Provincial Treasury yesterday (Wednesday) if the issue of salaries of 205 temporary educators who have not been paid since April, was not resolved. He said a meeting with Treasury was scheduled for that afternoon.
Except for temporary teachers not having been paid, vacancies left in schools by teachers on maternity leave, substitute educators and promotional posts not being filled.Learners are left in class without teachers. Other frustrations reportedly experienced by educators and schools are that most educators have not been paid their housing allowance as agreed to in the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council last year; schools cannot promptly fill vacant posts created as a result of maternity leave and promotions; Integrated Quality Management Systems and Performance Management and Development Systems bonuses or notch increases have not yet been paid, educators acting in promotional posts are not paid “acting allowances” and educators are burdened with administrative work because of departmental failure to fill vacancies of principals, deputy principals and heads of department.
According to Raphasha the department allegedly received instructions from the Provincial Treasury to control its compensation of employees cost. “The department is blaming this anomaly on the implementation of Instruction Note 7 from Treasury that deals with control of escalating compensation of employees and control measures in effecting appointments. The union’s stance is that no instruction should lead to non-payment of salaries of employees for several months in an attempt to control budgets,” Raphasha said.
Sadtu last week threatened to declare a formal dispute against the department and follow all legal recourse available. Rapasha said all educators and members of Sadtu are encouraged not to perform any duty beyond their job description and duties allocated to their posts. Duties allocated to vacant posts must be left unattended with immediate effect to relieve educators from the burden of performing duties for other people.
Raphasha said should the department fail to pay, Sadtu would stage a protest.
Head of Communications at the Department of Education, Naledzani Rasila on Tuesday said 85% of temporary teachers received their salaries by the end of August and other staff members have now been captured on the system. He ascribed the non-payment to system changes being the cause of the delays and said there was no instruction saying educators must not be paid. Rasila said all staff should have received their money by the end of this month.

Story: NELIE ERASMUS
>>nelie.observer@gmail.com