The KwaZulu Natal department of education has dismissed a threat by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) to down tools as unlawful.
The teachers union has served the department with a notice to strike and has warned the department that once the proposed mass action gets under way their members would not return to the classroom until their demands are met.
A dispute over wage negotiations is at the centre of the strike threat. The union claims that the salary structure for some Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) and Further Education and Training (FET) practitioners is not in line with the national rate, and points to the “underpayment” of support staff as another reason for the strike.
Sadtu provincial secretary KK Nkosi told the Teacher the union is in consultation with its 48000 members in the province on when exactly the strike will start, but according to the department any strike action will be illegal.
Superintendent-general Cassius Lubisi says that all the department’s offices are open and functioning normally, although ‘a group of employees have tried to encourage (their fellow) employees to join the strike’.
“The department regards the strike as unlawful and has issued a circular to all employees advising them that participating in such strike action would lead to disciplinary action in addition to the application of the principle of no-work-no-pay,” said Lubisi.