The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has warned that the marking of matric exams and the normal opening of schools in January next year will be adversely affected after declaring a dispute with the Department of Education on Wednesday.
Following a deadlock in Wednesday morning’s meeting of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), Sadtu stated its intention to declare a dispute.
Sadtu noted this drastic step comes just a month after an agreement was reached in the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) following a six-month dispute that culminated in the largest wage strike the country has seen to date.
The trade union added that the roots of the new dispute lie in the failure of the Department of Education to deliver on the agreement reached a month ago in respect of backlog payments owed to educators.
According to Sadtu, the department failed to deliver on a 1996 agreement to establish a pay progression system for educators. As a result, for the period 1996 to 2002, educators were denied any notch increases or payment for job progression, Sadtu claimed.
Sadtu maintained that the recent PSCBC agreement undertook to redress this situation, and it was left to the ELRC to finalise implementation.
The union said it was clear from the agreement and from assurances given by officials and political leaders that backlogs would be fully funded.
The union said the leaders of the teacher unions are outraged.
Sadtu secretary general Thulas Nxesi stated: “We were assured by the chief negotiators of the departments of education and public service and administration that the money would be found. On this basis, we signed the agreement at the PSCBC and we toured the country to get our members to agree to go back to work.
“The employer has now reneged. We were lied to — our members will want blood.”
According to Thulas Nxesi: “Again we see the employer negotiating in bad faith. They have now reneged on an agreement. The employer as an entity is multifaceted and clearly in disarray. We have to ask whether they are simply inefficient, ineffective or downright liars.
“We have lost any trust we ever had in these people.”
The union has also called a meeting of its national executive committee, which brings together the top leadership of the union from around the country. This will take place in mid-November and will discuss the action needed to pursue the dispute.
“We want this outstanding matter settled amicably. If not, make no mistake, the marking of matric exams and the normal opening of schools in January 2005 will be adversely affected. If we cannot put this simple matter to rest, forget any cooperation on the bigger educational issues,” Nxesi said.
Sadtu is the largest union in the PSCBC with a membership of 220 000 members, representing the majority of educators in the public schooling system. — I-Net Bridge