Recent union remarks over outstanding payments to teachers are ”misinformed and inflammatory”, the Department of Education said on Monday.
A settlement agreement for wage increases has been fulfilled by the department, said spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele.
”There is really no basis for the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union [Sadtu] to make such misinformed and inflammatory statements.”
The union said on Saturday that increases and incentives that were agreed upon in April had only been paid out to three provinces. About 200 000 teachers were affected, it said.
Ngqengelele said payments for wage increases in the Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape had been made by July as in the settlement agreement signed by Sadtu.
Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-West and KwaZulu-Natal have until the end of December to effect payments.
Limpopo and the Eastern Cape have until March 31 next year to comply.
”Therefore, all terms of the agreement have been fulfilled by the department,” said Ngqengelele.
Sadtu national negotiator Shireen Pardesi said on Monday that there were two separate issues at hand — wage increases and incentives.
The incentives, termed accelerated progression, were agreed upon in April and meant to be immediately paid out with funds from the Treasury, she said.
”They’re only speaking about the issue of pay progression but they are not talking about the incentives.”
The department had only paid the incentives of 3% of each teacher’s salary in three provinces.
The wage increases, of 1%, were correct in terms of the settlement agreement, she said.
However, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo were still owed wage increases from 2005, she said.
Ngqengelele said unions had been unable to provide information on teachers who are owed payments at meetings last week.
”The department is ready to address the non-payment of educators if the relevant details are provided.”
Reasons for non-payment may be teachers had not qualified for wage increases or there had been an omission.
The union — and not the department as charged — has shown ”crass inefficiency” over the matter of staffing and workloads when union leaders did not attend a November meeting, he said. — Sapa