Thabo Mohlala
Teacher unions and the department of education (DoE) have finally put pen to paper and signed a document that binds them to conclude issues related to occupation-specific dispensation (OSD) in education.
This puts an end to a series of protracted negotiations and allays fears about a possibility of a looming “chalk-down”.
OSD is a revised salary structure that is unique to each identified occupation in the public sector. It means that teachers are no longer lumped together with other civil servants under the same salary structure. They have now been brought in line with their specific professional functions.
Key aspects of the agreement include:
- A review of salary structure where a scientific study by an actuary would be carried out to determine the appropriateness of the current salary structure.
- Recognition of experience where teachers, with effect from July 1, will receive one salary notch for every three years of continuous service.
- All teachers will receive a 3% pay progression backdated to July 1 and a 1% annual pay progression thereafter.
- Senior and master teachers will receive a once-off cash bonus of 3% of the annual salary notch.
- Teachers with matric will be upgraded to a level of those with matric plus three years qualifications — equivalent to an entry level teacher’s salary.
Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) was the first union to sign the document while the other two major unions, the South African Teachers’ Union (Satu also known as Saou) and the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) have withheld their signatures, pending consultations with their constituencies.
Chris Klopper, Satu’s chief negotiator, said they do not intend throwing a spanner in the works. “There is nothing sinister about this. All we want to do is follow procedure and brief our members about this development. We support the agreement.”
He said their only major concern at this stage is the fact that the DoE does not have the funds to implement teachers’ salary increases and has not committed itself to a specific date of implementation.
Sadtu however said that even though there is no implementation date, it was always ready to sign the agreement but was held back by the “intransigence” of the DoE. The union’s acting general secretary, Mugwena Maluleke said signing the agreement means strike action has been averted and this has also revealed their commitment to the values of the “Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign”.
According to the agreement the parties would meet again on September 4 to tie up loose ends and to address how implementation should unfold. A task team comprising the departments of basic education, public service and administration and the provincial departments of education and finance has been set up to “work on a process of sourcing the funds”.
The Education Labour Relations Council will also appoint an actuary to look into the “appropriateness of the current salary structure applicable to institution and office-based educators”. The actuary would also develop a model for discussion in the labour council and the work must be completed by November 30, the council said.