The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday demanded that government salary officials be called back to their posts to make up for the reported discrepancy in teachers’ promised pay increases.
This follows a report in Beeld that salary adjustments were not included in the December pay run, as expected.
”The Department of Education needs to explain why it has allowed incompetence and bad planning to affect the pockets of thousands of teachers over the holiday season,” a DA statement read.
The adjustments were to have been in line with the occupation specific dispensation which changed salaries in line with work experience.
”This is deplorable and shows the department’s complete disregard for the welfare of teachers.
”For the department to now shift the blame onto the provinces by stating that provinces incorrectly recorded dates of service commencement, simply reflects the department’s own failure to implement and enforce the necessary controls.”
”The minister must take complete responsibility for sorting this out immediately and should call officials back to their posts to rectify the department’s mistakes.
”The statement that adjustments will only be possible by 15 January 2010 is unacceptable and will quite possibly not even be adhered to either.”
However, John Maluleke, general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union said only a small percentage of teachers were affected.
It appeared that they were mainly people who were employed before 1992 and those who had worked in the old ”homelands”. They had been paid for service after that date because they reflected on the current payment system, but not for the period before.
Although the union felt the problem should have been detected earlier, Maluleke felt confident that the outstanding amounts would be paid once people had submitted the relevant forms to rectify the matter.
An Education Department spokesperson was not immediately available to comment. — Sapa