Johannesburg - Teacher union Sadtu says it will embark on a provincial march if the education department in Mpumalanga does not cease its plans to cut more than a thousand teacher posts.
The union’s provincial structures said on Wednesday that it held lunch-time pickets, at district offices in the province, instead all day protests in order not to disrupt learning.
It said the department’s decision to reduce teacher posts from 32 637 to 31 206, resulting in 1 400 posts being frozen, does not make sense considering the shortage of teachers in many schools.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said this will leave many temporary teachers without jobs.
“This diabolic and vicious declaration happens in the face of increasing learner enrolment figures and a demand for more teachers posts to be created. Scores of temporary teachers are going to be jobless in January 2017,” said Sadtu’s Walter Hlaise.
Sadtu is also worried that the department has closed all vacant posts in the province and any vacancy that arises, due to retirement or resignation will not be filled.
“This has resulted in the elimination of circuit manager posts and other key strategic teacher curriculum support posts,” added Hlaise.
The union warned that it will continue with its daily lunch-time pickets in culmination of its provincial march on September 29, if the department does not retract on its plans.
@ZintleMahlati
Labour Bureau